Module 1

Introduction to Work
Study and Measurement

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 Introduction
This course is one of the fundamental courses in Industrial Engineering.
Its focus is on the evaluation of work methods through studying time and
motions needed to accomplish work. The course deals with the design and
measurement of work, which are fundamental to the modern industrial
organization. Knowledge and skill in work study and measurement will
provide the basic principles and application of motion and time study that can be
used to increase productivity, improve equipment utilization, conserve
materials and energy, reduce human effort, and advancing goals of an
organization. It deals with process charting analysis, work sampling, computer
work measurement, predetermined time systems (PTMS) particularly motion
time measurement (MTM), work factor and standard data. Aside from the tools
and techniques, the students will be also equipped of wage payment and
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incentive plans application
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 Learning Objectives

Define work study and its components.

Provide historical development of work

study.

Know the principles of work study.

Determine the objectives of work study

and measurement and its benefits.
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 Work Study Definition
⦿ Work Study is an area of knowledge that addresses the problem of work
simplification with the basis objectives of productivity enhancement, human
comfort and safety.

⦿ Work study is defined as that body of knowledge concerned with the analysis
of the work methods and the equipment used in performing a job, the design of
an optimum work method and the standardization of proposed work methods.

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 Work Study
⦿ Work Study is a generic term for management services and system
engineering techniques, used to investigate:

Methods of performing work (Method Study).

Work
The time taken to do it (Work Measurement). Study

Measurements
Work
Method
Study
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 Methods Study
⦿ Method study is a technique to reduce the work content mainly by
eliminating unnecessary movements by workers, materials, or
equipment.

⦿ However, even after that, there could be substantial unnecessary

time taken for the process because of lack of management control or
inaction of worker.

⦿ Method Study approaches and tools of Method Analyst:

Flow Diagrams & Process Charts etc.
Critical questioning techniques.
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 Methods Study
⦿ Method study is the systematic recording and critical examination
of existing and proposed ways of doing work, as a means of
developing and applying easier and more effective methods and
reducing costs.

⦿ Used to analyze
▪ Movement of body, people, or material
▪ Activities of people & machines

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 Work Measurement
⦿ Work Measurement Study is a general term used to describe the
systematic application of industrial engineering techniques to establish
the work content and time it should take to complete a task or series of
tasks.
⦿ Work measurement is a productivity improvement tool. Before
improvements can be made, the current productivity level of an
organization must be measured. This measurement is then used as a
baseline to determine if improvement projects have resulted in
genuine improvement.

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 Work Measurement
⦿ Work measurement helps to uncover non-value added areas of
waste, inconsistency, and non-standardization that exist in the
workplace. Work measurement studies uncover ways to make work
easier, and to produce products or services more quickly and
economically.
⦿ Work measurement involves the estimation of the amount of
human effort needed for producing a unit of specified output from an
operation. The amount of time that is usually taken by a well trained
worker, operating under normal working conditions, to produce one
unit of output is referred to as work standard.
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 Historical Development

Frederick Taylor is named as father of scientific

management and industrial engineering.

But before Frederick Taylor, Adam Smith gave

concept of Division of Labour through his book
The Wealth of Nations.
Al so Ja me s Wa t t , B o u l t i n M a t h e w a n d
Robinson obtained a place in the history of
Industrial Engineering because of their work
related with improvements in the performance of
machines and industries.
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 Historical Development
Frederick Winslow Taylor
► Known as the father of time study
► Worked at Bethlehem Steel late 1880s
► Started to analyze, measure, and control work
► He considered himself a friend of the worker
and enemy of management, but his legacy
turned out different
► Created scientific management & Industrial
Engineering
► Started thought process of looking for the best
way

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 Historical Development
Henry Laurence Gantt (worked under F.W.
Taylor)
(1861- 1919)
► A consulting engineer for economical shop management
and for time, cost, and record-keeping
► Preoccupied with human aspect of management in his
quest for economy in industrial activities “The control
over labor given to management by the application of the
system which I installed was so far-reaching as compared
with other management controls that I refused to install it
unless convinced that the management was such that no
unfair advantage would be taken of the system to oppress
labor.”
► Most remembered for his Bar chart techniques

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 Historical Development
Frank & Lillian Gilbreth
► They had 12 children – “Cheaper by the
Dozen”
► Frank was a brick layer, who as he performed
his job studied the motion and method. He
reduced brick laying steps from 17 to 7 and
increased the average numbers of bricks laid
from 125 to 350 by elimination of wasted
motion
► Principles of Motion economy
► Created 18 “Therbligs” that describe motions

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 Historical Development
Boeing 1930s -1940s
► Used time studies to measure and balance aircraft
assembly lines, controlled cycle times
► Time standards for fighters, bombers, gliders
Produced > 13,000 B-17s

Carl G. Barth
► Developed a production slide rule for determining the
most efficient combinations of speeds and feeds for
cutting metals of various hardness, considering the
depth of cut, size of tool, and life of the tool.
Investigated also the number of foot-pounds of work a
worker could do in a day.
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 Historical Development
Harrington Emerson
► Applied scientific methods to work on the Santa
Fe Railroad and wrote a book, ‘Twelve
Principles of Efficiency,’ in which he made an
effort to inform management of procedures for
efficient operation.
► Reorganized the company, integrated its shop
procedures, installed standard costs and a bonus
plan. His effort resulted in excess of $1.5 million.
His effort was recognized as the term ‘Efficiency
Engineering.’
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 Historical Development
HB Maynard 1948
► Coined the term “Methods Engineering”
► Established the Methods Engineering Council (MEC) in
Pittsburgh as a “time study training company”
► Started a research project with Westinghouse in 1941 to
make time study and standard setting much more fair to
workman and worked with Gus Stegmerten and Jack
Schwab. The three member team developed the Methods
Time Measurement (MTM) work measurement
technique, published in 1948.
► Put the MTM technique into the public domain by
forming the MTM Association in 1952 — Association
which still exists today
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 Historical Development
W.E Deming 1986

► Developed principals of statistical quality

controls
► “Out of the Crisis” focus on quality, not on
costs
► Continuous improvement rather than
“Quotas”
► (Quotas are not engineered standards)
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 Principles of Work Study
► Must come from the top level management.

► People made aware of the objectives and the

need of the exercising such study.

► Method study must precede work measurement.

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 Objectives of Work Study and Measurement
► 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.
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 Objectives of Work Study and Measurement
► quantify expectations from people and processes, and
communicate them
► determine staffing levels as output levels rise or fall
► assign and schedule work to people and equipment based on
expectations
► identify and manage constraints; in equipment, process, facility
► balance individual workloads in lines or work groups for optimum
performance
► offer pay related to output; labor incentives
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 Objectives of Work Study and Measurement
► calculate actual capacity the operation can produce
► develop standard cost models for products and services
► justify equipment and automation acquisition
► meet financial understanding of costs
► judge disagreements about workload, assignments
► analyze variance to find problems
► estimate potential benefit from changes beforehand

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 Benefits of Work Study and Measurement
► 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
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 End of Module 1
Thanks for Listening!

by: Engr. Nomer M. Sarmiento

Engr. Jerald M. Fernandez

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