WORK MEASUREMENTS AND METHODS

Work measurement is a series of techniques employed to evaluate the time needed for
completion of a task by an average human worker. The time thus required to complete the
task is called standard time. Any worker who exceeds this standard time for a particular task
is said to be working slowly. Work measurement refers to the estimation of standard time,
i.e., is the time allowed for completing one piece of job using the given method.

Uses of setting work standards

• To help in scheduling the operations

• Helps to improve machine utilization by reducing idle time
• Help to compare the efficiency of different work methods
• Benchmark for evaluating worker’s performance

Work measurement techniques

1. Time study
2. Standard data
3. Predetermined motion time study
4. Work sampling
5. Historical analysis
6. Employee self-timing

➢ TIME STUDY

It is the most widely used work measurement technique that employs a decimal minute
stopwatch to record and determine the time required by a qualified and well-trained person
working at a normal pace to do a specific task under specified conditions. The result of the
time study is the time that a person suited to the job and fully trained in the specified method
will need to perform the job if they work at a normal or standard pace.

Steps in time study

• Job identification and division

• Observation
• Pace rating the worker
• Computing the normal time
• Allowances
• Computing the standard time

➢ STANDARD DATA

It is a generic term given to a collection of time values. Standard data uses work elements
from time studies or other work measurement sources making it unnecessary to restudy work
elements that have been timed adequately in the past. These element times are extracted from
studies and applied to jobs or tasks with the same element(s). Some examples of standard
data development include graphs, tables, charts, formulas and spreadsheet programs.

➢ PREDETERMINED MOTION TIME STUDY

Technique of motion study and time standards development. The motions of the work or task
performed are recorded. Each basic motion has a time value associated with it. Once all the
motions for the task have been recorded, the time values are totalled and the standard time for
the operation is developed.

➢ WORK SAMPLING

It is a random sampling technique (statistical sampling theory) that involves observing the
worker(s) at randomly selected times and recording the type of activity that is observed at
that instance. Work sampling is most commonly used to collect information for allowance
calculation, to determine the distribution of work activities, and to determine the productive
and non-productive utilization of workers. Work sampling is based on probability.

➢ EMPLOYEE SELF-TIMING

Setting work standards, especially for white collar jobs, requires new techniques wherein
workers are asked to set work standards for themselves. The setting of work standards is
referred to as employee self-timing.

Uses of work management

• To compare the efficiency of alternative methods

• To balance the work of members of teams
• To determine the number of machines an operator can run
• To provide information for estimation of tenders, selling prices and delivery

Advantages of time study

• Direct time study is fairly versatile, since it only involves the use of time measuring
devices such as stop watch and time is measured directly.
• A description is provided of the method along with a sketch. This helps to understand
the conditions and nature of the task being performed, even in the future when
referencing past time study records.
Advantages of work sampling

• Easier to measure process that have long cycle times or costly to measure
• A study can be made of several operators simultaneously.
• Observations are taken on a day-to-day basis or week-to-week basis, thus decreasing
the effect of variation on results