Why work study
To increase or improve the productivity in long and short term
Define work study
A management tool. It is a scientific study of method and time taken carry out a particular operation or series of operations to obtain facts about operations.
What are the objectives of work study
- the most effective use of plant and equipment
- the most effective use of human effort
- the evaluation of work
What is the nature of the theory for a work study
- organized common sense, human ingenuity and creation of tools
- functional and assumed to be natural
- critical suggestion and taking nothing for granted
- predictability and control over quality
- maximize use of complete labour and capital
What are two techniques used in a work study
- Method study
- work measurement
Why make a work study? (Scientific approach)
- each component of the job production can be analyzed down to the smallest component part
- optimum material, plant and labour to do the work
Why work study
- all the component parts then closely integrated into a programme of production
- each component ready on time
- correct balance of quantities
- in the right place
- flow of work logical
- efficient ways of doing the job, short travel distance
- machines employed to capacity, no breakdowns or delays
- adequate supervision at all times
What is method study used for
To improve existing and/or proposed method of doing work
What are the objectives of method study
- To examine the ways of doing work to develop easier and more effective methods of production
- To observe, record and analyse the operation
- To examine the performance of a operation that can be improved to make more effective use of the resources
What are the stages in method study
Select the task to study Record the facts about it Examine these Develop Install/implement it Maintain it
What can the selection I method study be based on
- Cost of work
- Delays
- Safety
- In-house technical support
- Supply of materials
- Supply of materials
- Issues
- Limitation of site environment
- Demand of plant
- Demand of labour
Who has to agree on a method study
Senior management team
What is important when recording the facts in a method study
- prepare a factual record of how the operation actually takes place
- before and after comparisons made
- use standard symbols to plot the work involved with the activity
- use standard symbols to plot the work involved with the activity
- Record in a process chart
What structure is does the examine phase have
Purpose (what is being done? Why? What else could be done?)
Place (where? Why? Where should?)
Sequence (when? why then? When else? When should?)
Person (who? Who else? Who should?
Means (how, why, how else, how should)
What’s the purpose of develop a new method in a method study
- knowledge of the possibilities; new machinery, effects of removing a stage,
- developing solutions requires the designer to have knowledge of new methods and equipment and the technical feasibility
- a chart of the new system in a pictorial model others to see the new system and evaluate it
Install/implementing in a method study
- New method once agreed and costed must be installed
- Staff consultation, briefing, and training needed
- Installation may require a detailed project plan and budget
- A new method could be installed in one line whilst the old method continue
- If a method is installed immediately over an old method then there needs to be complete certainty that it is going to work
- How is the problem of staff training to be resolved if it has not been installed yet
- Discussion with operative and staff
- Approval by management
- Cost savings/time savings established
- allow running in period to test the new ways of doing things
Maintain
- a new method needs new sequences of operator action and probably different perspectives
- every member of the operations team needs to be committed to the new method
- the process chart needs to be updated with the new method ans associated documentation modified
- maintenance by regular checking
- May drift back to the original practice
- review
- incorporate any valid amendments to the new process
- operating instructions remain live documents
What effort is required in a work measurement procedure
Select - work to be measured
Define - method to be used
Measure- quantity the work involved (direct and indirect measurement)
Obtain standard time
Establish - target time for defined method
What is included within the selection in a work measure
- time required for the average worker to carry out particular task
- not only about how the worker operates
- other influence are involved
- need to inform everyone involved why the exercise is being undertaken
Define in a work measure include
Complete description and it’s elements
- the operation
- the operator
- prevailing conditions
- the specified way of doing it
Measure In a work measure is
- time study techniques
- rating (the average worker, how good the worker)
- calculation (of standard time for the job)
Obtain and establish
Allowed time for the operation to be completed and issued for use
