WORK STUDY

INTRODUCTION
 With increasing complexities of the technological world, need to
simplify the work system has been increasing day by day.

 Work study is an area of knowledge that addresses the problem

of work simplification with the basic objectives of

PRODUCTIVITY ENHANCEMENT, HUMAN COMFORT & SAFETY

 EVOLUTION OF WORK STUDY

• F.W.TAYLOR: founder of modern method and time study.

• Taylor began his time study work in 1881.
• He established that each job should have a standard time, determined by time studies.
• In the timing process Taylor advocated dividing the work into small divisions of
effort known as elements.
• Time was obtained for these element individually and their collective values were
used to determine the allowed time for the task.
 WORK OF GILBERTH

• Gilbreth is considered as the founder of ‘modern motion study

technique’.
• Which is defined as the study of body motions used in performing an
operation for the purpose of improving the operation by :
 Eliminating unnecessary motions
 Simplifying necessary motions
 Then establishing the most favorable motion sequence for maximum efficiency
 Frederick W. Taylor (1856‐1915)
• First engineer in the history studying on the time study.
• Taylor states that "...in these experiments we were not trying to find the maximum
work that a man could do on a short time but to learn what really constitutes a full
day's work for a first class man, the best day's work that a man could properly do...”
Taylorism
• Which is the best way to do this job?
• What should constitute a day's work?
• Selection of the best worker, training, teaching him
• The division of the work equally
• Time study
– Divide each task into work elements
– Time each element separately
– Useful than timing the whole task
 Gilbreths
Motion‐study:
Study of the body motions, eliminating unnecessary motions, simplifying
necessary motions, and then establishing the most favorable motion
sequence for maximum efficiency.

Divided work into basic motion elements called “THERBLIGS”

• There is “one best method” to perform a given task
• Bricklaying: 120 to 350 per man per hour
• Micromotion study
–The technique of filming motions to study
–Cyclegraph
–Choronocyclegraph
DEFINITION
STEPS INVOLVED IN WORK STUDY
1. SELECT
Job Or Process To Be Studied

2. RECORD
All the details concerning job using various Recording Techniques

3. EXAMINE
Recorded facts critically by asking questions like who, what, when,
why

4. DEVELOP
Most economical method

5. MEASURE
The amount of work involved and set standard time to do that job

6. DEFINE
New method and standard time

7. INSTALL
The new method as a standard practice

8. MAINTAIN
New method as agreed standards
 PRINCIPLES OF WORK STUDY

1. Must come from the top level management.

2. People made aware of the objectives and the need of the exercising
such study.
3. Method study must precede work measurement .
 OBJECTIVES
 To analyze the present method of doing a job, systematically in order to develop a
new and better method.
 To measure the work content of a job by measuring the time required to do the job for
a qualified worker and hence to establish standard time.
 To increase the productivity by ensuring the best possible use of human, machine and
material resources and to achieve best quality product/service at minimum possible
cost.
 To improve operational efficiency.
 To reduce waste through standardization of work elements of a job.
 To improve labor efficiency.
COMPONENTS /
TECHNIQUES OF WORK STUDY
BENEFITS OF WORK STUDY
 Increased productivity and operational efficiency
 Reduced manufacturing costs
 Improved work place layout
 Better manpower planning and capacity planning
 Fair wages to employees
 Better working conditions to employees
 Improved work flow
 Reduced material handling costs
 Provides a standard of performance to measure labour efficiency
 Better industrial relations and employee morale
 Basis for sound incentive scheme
 Provides better job satisfaction to employees
ADVANTAGES OF METHOD STUDY

DISADVANTAGES OF METHOD STUDY

 WORK CONTENT

Basic work content

Excess work content

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MANUFACTURING
TIME

9
 REASONS FOR EXCESS WORK
CONTENT
A. Defects in design

B. Inefficient methods of
manufacture

C. Short-comings of the mgt.

D. Work-man attributes 8
Method Study
 METHOD
STUDY
It is the systematic recording & critical
examination of existing and proposed ways of
doing work, as a means of developing and applying
easier and more effective methods and reducing
cost

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 METHOD
STUDY
Objectives
Critical examination of facts
Develop best possible solution
Eliminate unnecessary operations
Add value & Avoid delays
Optimize 3M
1
1
 JOB
SELECTION
Economic aspect

Technical aspect

Human aspect

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 RECORDING TECHNIQUES
CHARTS
Macro-motion charts
Micro-motion charts

DIAGRAMS
Flow & String diagrams
Cycle graph & Chronocycle
graph 15
 CRITICAL
A EXAMINATION
systematic and progressive series of
questions with the purpose of determining true
reasons

Based on the reasons, improvements are

found and adopted into a new method, called
better method

The use of questioning technique reduces the

possibility of missing any information which
may be useful for the development of bette r 49

method
 CRITICAL
A EXAMINATION
popular procedure of carrying out critical
examination uses two sets of questions:
Primary questions (answers to these show up the
necessity of carrying out the activity), &
Secondary questions (answers to these allow
considerations to alternative methods of doing the
activity)

Selection of the best way of doing each activity is

later determined to develop new method which is
introduced as a standard 50

practice.
 CRITICAL
EXAMINATION
PRIMARY
QUESTIONS
the PURPOSE for which
the PLACE at which
the SEQUENCE in which
the PERSON by whom
the MEANS by which
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 CRITICAL
EXAMINATION
SECONDARY
PURPOSE: QUESTIONS
what is done? why is it
done?
what else might be done?
what should be done?
PLACE: where is it done?
Why is it done there?
Where else might it is done?
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Where should it be done?

SEQUENCE: When is it done? Why is it
done?
When might it be done?
When should it be done?
PERSON: who does it?
CRITICAL
Why does that person do it?
Who else might do it? Who EXAMINATION
should do it?
MEANS: How is it done?
Why is it done that way?
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How else might it be done?
How should it be done ?
CRITICAL
EXAMINATION

54
DEVELOPMENT & SELECTION OF IMPROVED METHOD
Eliminate all unnecessary operations
Combine operations & elements
Change the sequence of operations
Simplify the necessary operations

Steps in development & selection

Evaluation (evaluate the alternatives)
Investigation (tech. & eco. feasibility)
Selection
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INSTALLATION OF THE PROPOSED
METHOD

Recommendation phase

Implementation phase

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 MAINTAIN THE PROPOSED
METHOD
Follow-up
Monitoring & control
Audit of the savings
Review of the approach
Evaluation of effectiveness of
proposed method

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METHOD STUDY
SYMBOLS

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Work Measurement
DEFINITION :-

 “The application of techniques designed to establish

the time for a qualified worker to carry out a
specified job at a defined level of performance”
 OBJECTIVES OF WORK MEASUREMENT :-

 1. Comparing alternative methods

 2. Assessing the correct initial manning (manpower requirement
planning)
 3. Planning and control
 4. Realistic costing
 5. Delivery date of planning
 6. Cost reduction and cost control
 7. Identifying substandard workers
 8. Training new employees.
 WORK MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES
 For repetitive work (short work cycle) or non-repetitive
work;
Time study (stop watch technique)
Work sampling
Synthetic data
Analytical estimating
Predetermined Motion Time Study (PMTS)
Note - Time study & Work sampling involve direct observatio6n5 while
remaining are data-based & analytical in nature
TECHNIQUES OF WORK MEASUREMENT
:-
 1) Repetitive Work:- The type of work in which the main operation or
group of operations repeat continuously during the time spent at the
job. These apply to work cycle of extremely short duration.

 2) Non-repetitive Work:- It include some type of maintenance and

construction work, where cycle itself is hardly ever repeated identically.
 Time study

 Time study is work measurement technique for recording the

times and rates of working for the elements of a specified job
carried out under specified under specified conditions
1)SELECT (SELECTING JOB FOR WORK STUDY)
2)OBTAIN & RECORD (DETAILS REGARDING METHODS,OPERATOR, JOB AND
WORKING CONDITION)
3)DEFINE (THE ELEMENT, BREAK THE JOB INTO CONVENIENT FOR TIMING)
4)MEASURE (TIME DURATION FOR EACH ELEMENT AND ASSESS THE RATING)
5)EXTEND (OBSERVED TIME INTO NORMAL TIME {BASIC TIME})
6)DETERMINED (RELAXATION AND PERSONAL ALLOWANCES)
7) COMPUTE (STANDARD TIME FOR THE OPERATION FOR DEFINED JOB OR
OPERATION.)
 Types of element
 A repetitive element – Is an element which occurs in every work cycle of the job.
 An occasional element - does not occur in each work cycle of the job, but which
may occur at regular or irregular intervals. e.g. machine setting.

 A constant element - the basic time remains constant whenever it is performed. e.g.
switch the machine on.

 A variable element - is an element for which the basic time varies in relation to
some characteristics of the product, equipment or process, e.g. dimensions, weight,
quality etc. e.g. push trolley of parts to next shop.
 Types of element

 manual element - is an element performed by a worker.

 machine element - is automatically performed by a power-driven machine (or

process).

 governing element - occupies a longer time than any of the other elements which
are being performed concurrently. e.g. boil kettle of water, while setting out teapot and cups.

 foreign element - is observed during a study which, after analysis, is not found to be
necessary part of the job. e.g. degreasing a part that has still to be machined further.
ALLOWANCES

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•
SETTING STANDARD TIMES
STEP 1: CHOOSE THE SPECIFIC JOB TO BE STUDIED
• STEP 2: TELL THE WORKER WHOSE JOB YOU WILL BE
STUDYING
• STEP 3: BREAK THE JOB INTO EASILY RECOGNIZABLE
UNITS
• STEP 4: CALCULATE THE NUMBER OF CYCLES YOU
MUST OBSERVE
• STEP 5: TIME EACH ELEMENT, RECORD DATA & RATE
THE
WORKER’S PERFORMANCE
• STEP 6: COMPUTE THE NORMAL TIME