Study

Work

Operations
Management
Method study and time study
Work study concerns itself with a better way of doing things and
control over the output of those things by setting standards with
respect to time.

Productivity which is, generally speaking, a ratio of output to input, is of

great importance for the smooth running of any organization
Foundations of Work Study
“The greatest production results when each worker is given a definite
task to be performed in a definite time in a definite manner”.
- Frederick W. Taylor
Foundations of Work Study
Another form……..
Subdivision of Work – Therbligs
For a detailed and useful study of method or time, a subdivision of the
work into its component elements is necessary.
Taylor’s division was broader as compared to the subdivision suggested
by Gilbreth, although the latter’s study concentrated only on the
human body.

Gilbreth’s elementalization was general in the sense that any work

done by hand and body movements could be classified into a few or all
of 18 “Therblig” work elements.
Subdivision of Work – Therbligs
Therblig Description
Search When a hand or body member tries to find or locate and object.
Find Different from Search as it involves finding an object by eye movement.
Select To locate a specific object from a group of objects.
Grasp Gaining control over an object.
Hold Holding an object in a fixed position and location; it may amount to prolonged Grasp.
Transport loaded Changing the location of an object.
Position Causing a part/object to line-up or orient.
Assemble To put two or three parts together.
Use Applying a tool or manipulating control.
Disassemble Taking objects apart (or casing separation of objects).
Inspect Determining the quality of an object by feeling the object.
Subdivision of Work – Therbligs
Therblig Description
Pre-position Same as Position except that this occurs when the line-up is previous to the
use of part or tool in another place.
Release Load Letting go of an object.
Transport Empty Reaching for something.
Rest for over-coming Fatigue Idleness, necessary to overcome fatigue from previous working.
Unavoidable Delay Idleness, of a body member, where it is a part of the method.
Avoidable Delay Idleness or some movement of a body member, where it is not a part of the
method.
Plan Deciding on a course of action.
Process Flow Charts
Any job or process can be studied for methods
improvement by recording all the events. For the
study of the process, therefore, “process charts”
are used giving the sequence of event occurring in
the process from the beginning to the end.
Process Flow Charts
Process Charts are generally drawn for the material which goes from
the raw material stage to the finished good stage.

Such charts give a clear picture of the process and

help in analyzing whether the efforts are utilized in
accomplishing the job or whether they are wasted.
Process Flow Charts
Each one of the activities can then be analyzed to find whether it could
be:
i. Eliminated.
ii. Reduced in time.
iii. Substituted by some other activity.
iv. Put elsewhere in the sequence of activities.

The ultimate goal is to simplify the procedure to minimize the man /

machine effort and reduce avoidable wastage of time resulting in
minimization of the process costs.
Man-Machine Diagrams
Other types of charts used are the man-machine charts, which on a
vertical time scale indicate the various activities done by man and
machine both on the same chart, for carrying out a certain operation
by the man-machine team.
 Man-Machine Diagrams
The basic idea behind such charts is to visually aid in highlighting the
possibility of:

i. Better coordination between man and machine.

ii. Reduction / elimination of idle times of man and machine to
improve the utilization.
iii. Exploration of alternatives man-machine arrangements suitable to
the plant conditions.
Main Components of Method Study
The main components in the method study are:
1. Gaining information about and understanding the process, men
carrying out the process and their work, machines carrying out the
work, the tools, and the working conditions.
2. Information and understanding is to be sought in detail about the
various components of process, and human, material and machine
movements.
Main Components of Method Study
3. Analyzing critically:
a) What? (operations, delays, inspections, Why so? Alternatives, if any or
hand-and-body motions, etc.)
b) Who? (number and skills of person/s, Why so? Alternatives, if any doing it).
c) When? (sequence or time schedule of Why so? Alternatives, if any
operations)
d) Where? (workplace) Why so? Alternatives if any.
e) How? (use of tools, raw materials, etc.) Why so? Alternatives, if any.

The questions are to be asked in that order.

Main Components of Method Study
4. After the critical examination, chalk out improved alternative
methods which might be acceptable to the labor and the
management.
5. Check acceptance and follow-up implementation to iron out
wrinkles if any in the improved methods.
6. Much after the productions is undertaken, a reevaluation and
maintenance of the method.
Criteria for Methods Improvement
The improvement in method refers to criteria which are relevant to the
organization, such as

• Improved cost performance .

• Improved time or delay performance.
• Improved worker satisfaction.
• Improved standardization of operations and products.
 Time Study Standards
Once the method is established, the next thing to do would be to set
standards times for the work. This aspect of work study is called the “time
study”.

Uses of Time Study

i. Determining the work content and thereby settings wages and
incentives.
ii. Arriving at cost standards per unit of output for the various jobs used for
cost control and budgeting for deciding on sales price.
iii. Comparing the work efficiency of different operators.
iv. Arriving at job schedules for production planning purposes.
v. Manpower planning.
 Time Study Standards
vi. Aiding in the method study
a) To appropriately sequence the work of an operator and the machines or
that of a group of workers.
b) To highlight time consuming elements.
c) To compare cost of alternative methods.
vii. Product design by providing basic data on costs of alternative
materials and methods required to manufacture the product.
Time Study Standards
Three Basic Systems of Time Study

The setting of time standards is done basically by following three

methods:
a) Using a stop-watch.
b) Using synthetic time standards.
c) Using statistical sampling.
Time Study Standards
Allowances
“Standard times” are derived from the normal times by applying
appropriate “allowances” for personal time, fatigue and unavoidable
minor delays (outside the control of the worker).
A worker needs time to attend to personal physical needs such as
drinking water, etc. Which is reflected in the personal allowances
added to the normal time.
Predetermined Motion Time Systems
(PMTS)
The other way of establishing time standards is by making use of
synthetic standards for elements of motion.

MTM standards (Methods Time Measurement)

The basic approach is to classify the human work motions into fixed
standard categories such as reach, move, turn, apply pressure, grasp,
release, position, eye motions, body-leg-and foot motions. Etc.

The basic unit is called the Time Measurement Unit (TMU).

1 TMU = 0.000001 hour = 0.0006 minute = 0.036 second

Application of Work Study to Office Work
The principles and techniques of Work Study have been applied to
office work also, although with some difficulties. The difficulties are
arguably attributed to the following:

a) Office work involves a significant portion of “mental work”.

b) Office work is irregular and non-repetitive in nature, unlike the
manufacture of a product in a factory.
Bibliography
Chary, S. N. (2019). Production and operations management.
(6.a ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.