1.

Definition of Method Study

● Method study may be defined as “the systematic recording, analysis and critical examination of existing
or proposed methods of doing work for the development and application of easier and more effective
methods thereby reducing cost”
● It’s a procedure for examining the various activities associated with the problem which ensures
systematic, objective and critical evaluation of the existing factors and an addition an imaginative
approach while developing improvements
● Can be used to
○ the design of a new plant
○ the design of a new product
○ the design of a new process
○ the improvement of an existing process
○ the improvement of an existing workplace

2. Aspects of Method Study

- There are three aspects of its application:

(i) Method study: is concerned with broad investigation and improvements of a shop/section/department, the
layout of equipment and machines and the movement of men and materials.

(ii) Motion study: is the detailed investigation of the individual worker/operator, layout of his/her machines,
tools, jigs, fixtures and movement of his/her limbs when he/she performs his/her job. The ergonomics aspects
like study of environment, body postures, noise level and surrounding temperature also form part of the
investigation.

(iii) Micro Motion study: Much more detailed investigation of very rapid movements of the various limbs of the
worker.

3. Scope of Method Study

● Layout of shop floor and working areas of work stations

● Working Conditions
● Handling distances (material movement)
● Tooling and equipment used
● Quality standards to be achieved
● Operators and operations for achieving production targets
● Material to be used
● Power required and its availability
● Work cycle time
● Working processes

4. Objectives of Method Study

● Improvement of manufacturing processes and procedures

● Improvement of working conditions
● Improvement of plant layout and work place layout
● Reducing the human effort and fatigue
● Reducing material handling
● Improvement of plant and equipment design
● Improvement in the utility of material, machines and manpower
● Standardization of method
● Improvement in safety standard

5. Approach to Methods Design (or) Elements of Method Design

- in order to design a system (method) thoroughly, eight elements must be considered

● Purpose: The function, mission, aim or need for the system

● Input: The physical items, people, and/or information that enter the system to be processed into the
output.
● Output: That which the system produces to accomplish its purpose, such as finished steel, assembled
toasters, boxes, and so forth
● Sequence: The steps required to convert, transform, or process the input to the output
● Environment: The condition under which the system operates, including physical, attitudinal,
organizational, contractual, cultural, political, and legal environment.
● Human agents: The people who aid in the steps of the sequence without becoming a part of the output.
● Physical catalysts: The equipment and physical resources that aid in the steps of the sequence without
becoming part of the output
● Information aids: Knowledge and information resources that aid in the steps of the sequence without
becoming part of the output

6. Benefits of Method Study

● Work Simplification
● Improved working method
● Better product quality
● Improved workplace layout
● Improved equipment Design.
● Better working conditions/environment
● Better materials handling and lesser material handling cost.
● Improved work flow
● Less fatigue to workmen.
● Optimum utilization of all resources.
● Shorter production cycle time.
● Higher job satisfaction for workmen.
● Reduced material consumption and wastages.
● Reduced manufacturing cost and higher productivity.

7. Indicators of Method Study

● Bottleneck in the production system

● Long delivery dates
● Unbalanced work flow
● Under utilization of resources (idleness of plant)
● Increase in rejection rate
● Inconsistency in wages and incentives of workers
● Poor morale of workers (increase in absenteeism)

8. Factors for selection of jobs for Method Study

(a) Economic factors:

- Method study involves cost and time. So if returns are not attained, the whole exercise will go waste.
Thus money spent should be justified by the savings from it.
- Therefore following questions should be answered for selection of a job to know its economic
importance to carry out method study. If the job
- Have a high labour input i.e. time consuming
- Have excessive idleness of man and machines
- Involve heavy overtime payment to workers
- Have production bottlenecks

(b) Technical factors:

- The most important point is to ensure that adequate technical knowledge about the job to be
investigated is available if a workable solution is to be found. e.g. a particular machine tool is hurdle in
achieving the desired production rate and increase in cutting speed and depth of cut increases the
output but affects the quality seriously.
- In such situation work study person must have technical expertise in machine tools and metal cutting
processes to provide pragmatic solutions for such kinds of problems
- Some factors that favour selction in technical aspects are:
- Product having inconsistent quality
- Operations generating lot of scraps
- Frequent complaints from workers regarding the job

(c) Human factors:

- Following things are desired by the employees

- To earn more wages
- To get promoted
- To be liked by fellow workers
- To be of some importance among colleagues and seniors
- To get satisfaction from their work
- To be involved in decision making process especially related to their welfares
- To obtain job security
So, all the above points should be given due importance for selection of job for method study.

9. Method Study Tools

(a) Exploratory Tools - Pareto Analysis, Fishbone diagrams, Gantt & PERT Charts
(b) Recording & Analysis Tools - Outline process chart, flow process chart, flow diagram, worker &
machine process charts, Gang process charts etc

10. Method Study Procedure

1. Select the work to be studied.
2. Record all facts about the method by direct observation.
3. Examine the above facts critically.
4. Develop the most efficient and economic method.
5. Define the new method.
6. Install the new method
7. Maintain the new method by regular checking.
 (a) Select
While selecting a job for doing method study, the following factors are considered:

- Economical Factors:
- The money saved as a result of method study should be sufficiently more. Then only the study
will be worthwhile.
- Based on the economical factors, generally the following jobs are selected
- Operations having bottlenecks (which holds up other production activities).
- Operations done repetitively.
- Operations having a great amount of manual work.
- Operations where materials are moved for a long distance.

- Human Factors:
- The method study will be successful only with the co-operation of all people concerned viz.,
workers, supervisor, trade unions etc.
- Workers may resist method study due to- 1. The fear of unemployment. 2. The fear of reduction
in wages. 3. The fear of increased work load

- Technical Factors:
- To improve the method of work all the technical details about the job should be available.
- Every machine tool will have its own capacity

(b) Record

All the details about the existing method are recorded. This is done by directly observing the work. Symbols
are used to represent the activities like operation, inspection, transport, storage and delay. Different charts and
diagrams are used in recording. They are:

1. Operation process chart: All the operations and inspections are recorded.
2. Flow process chart:
- Man type: All the activities of man are recorded
- Material type: All the activities of the material are recorded
- Equipment type All the activities of equipment or machine are recorded.
3. Two-handed process chart: Motions of both lands of worker are Right hand-Left hand chart recorded
independently.
4. Multiple activity chart: Activities of a group of workers doing a single job or the activities of a single worker
operating a number of machines are recorded.
5. Flow diagram: This is drawn to suitable scale. Path of flow of material in the shop is recorded.
6. String diagram: The movements of workers are recorded using a string in a diagram drawn to scale.

(c) Examine

- Critical examination is done by questioning technique.

- This step comes after the method is recorded by suitable charts and diagrams.
- The individual activity is examined by putting a number of questions. The following factors are
questioned
1. Purpose - To eliminate the activity, if possible.
2. Place – To combine or re-arrange the activities.
3. Sequence – To combine or re-arrange the activities
4. Person – To combine or re-arrange the activities
5. Means – To simplify the activity.

(d) Develop
The answer to the questions given below will result in the development of a better method.

1. Purpose – What should be done?

2. Place – Where should it be done?
3. Sequence – When should it be done?
4. Person – Who should do it?
5. Means – How should it be done?

(e) Define

The report should show-

1. Brief description of the old method
2. Brief description of the new method
3. Reasons for change.
4. Advantages and limitations of the new method
5. Savings expected in material, labour and overheads
6. Tools and equipment required for the new method
7. The cost of installing the new method including.
- Cost of new tools and equipment
- Cost of re-layout of the shop
- Cost of training the workers in the new method
- Cost of improving the working conditions.

(f) Install

- This step is the most difficult stage in method study. Here the active support of both management and
trade union is required.
- Here the work study man requires skill in getting along with other people and winning their trust
- Install stage consists of
1. Gaining acceptance of the change by supervisor
2. Getting approval of management
3. Gaining the acceptance of change by workers and trade unions
4. Giving training to operators in the new method
5. To be in close contact with the progress of the job until it is satisfactorily executed.

(g) Maintain

- The work study man must see that the new method introduced is followed.
- The workers after some time may slip back to the old methods. This should not be allowed
- The new method may have defects. There may be difficulties also. This should be rectified in time by
the work study man
- Periodical review is made. The reactions and suggestions from workers and supervisors are noted.
This may lead to further improvement
- The differences between the new written standard practice and the actual practice are found out.
- Reasons for variations are analysed. Changes due to valid reasons are accepted

11. Guidelines used in Method Design

The generalised strategy is to follow the following two guidelines for each element:

(1) Constraints: Minimum constraints or limitations to be considered in the design of each element and these
restriction must be part of final method specifications.
(2) Regularity: The adopted method should regularly include these conditions and specifications. Though there
are number of strategies aiming at optimum methods which have been proposed but the search for the best
method should be unending process. So the objective of method study should be the optimisation of work
method. Which will result in :-
(i) Less time consumed per unit output of the product.
(ii) Reduced employee effort which is by virtue of-
- Satisfactory working conditions
- Satisfactory or good plant layout so as to reduce work input as well as movement of man and risks etc.
- Good work place layout in order to obtain less exertive and smooth body movements.
(iii) A minimization of scrap, waste and rework.

12. What’s a Process Chart

- A process chart is setting out the sequence of flow of a product or a procedure by recording all events
under review using appropriate process chart-symbols.
- This chart gives a record of all events associated with the worker. Operation, inspection, movement and
delay

13. Applications/ Benefits of Process Charts

- Generally used as a principal means of recording work methods

- Helps to understand the overall nature of the system being studied
- Helps to eliminate flow patterns that are not suitable
- Helps to allow storage space adequate to support the production rate
- Helps to eliminate costly errors by analyzing the material flow
- Helps to allow adequate space to avoid safety problems
- Helps to locate and size aisles appropriate for product handled
- Helps to avoid backtracking of the material
- Helps to identify the possibility of combining operations by grouping different machines or operations to
avoid handling, storage, and delays
- Helps to decide whether product flow or process flow layout of factory will be useful

14. List of Process Charts

1. Outline process charts

2. Flow process chart: man type, material type, equipment type
3. Two handed process chart
4. Multiple activity chart: using time scale
5. Simo chart: using time scale
6. Flow diagrams
7. String diagrams
8. Cyclograph
9. Chronocyclegraph
10. Travel Chart

(a) Charts indicating process sequence

- Outline process chart
- Flow process chart: Man, Material and Equipment type Classification
- Two-handed process chart
(b) Charts using a time scale
- Multiple activity chart
- Simo chart
 - PMTS chart
(c) Diagrams indicating movement
- Flow diagram
- Chronocyclegraph
- String diagram
- Travel chart
- Cyclograph

15. Principles of Motion Economy

- The principles of motion economy form a set of rules and suggestions to improve the manual work in
manufacturing and reduce fatigue and unnecessary movements by the worker, which can lead to the
reduction in the work related trauma.
- The principles of motion economy can be classified into three groups:

(a) Principles related to the use of human body

(b) Principles related to the arrangement of the work place
(c) Principles related to the design of tools and equipment

(1) Principles related to the Use of Human Body

- The two hands should begin motions at the same time

- The two hands should not be idle at the same time except during rest periods
- Motions of the arms should be made in opposite and symmetrical directions and should be made
simultaneously
- Hand motions should be confined to the lowest classification with which it is possible to perform the
work satisfactorily: Finger motions, Wrist motions, Forearm motions, Upper arm motions, Shoulder
motions
- Momentum should be employed to assist the worker whenever possible, and it should be reduced to a
minimum if it must be overcome by muscular effort
- Smooth continuous motions of the hands are preferable to zigzag motions or straight-line motions
involving sudden and sharp changes in direction.
- Momentum should be employed to assist the worker wherever possible, and it should be reduced to a
minimum if it must be overcome by muscular effort
- Ballistic movement are faster, easier and more accurate than restricted or controlled movements
- Work should be arranged to permit an easy and natural rhythm wherever possible
- Eye fixations should be as few and as close as possible

(2) Principles related to the Arrangement of the Work Place

- There should be a definite and fixed place for all tools and materials
- Tools, materials, and controls should be located close in and directly in front of the operator
- Drop delivers should be used whenever possible
- Materials and tools should be located to permit the best sequence of motions
- Arrange the height of the workplace and chair for alternate sitting and standing, when possible
- Provide a chair of the type and height to permit good posture.
- There should be a definite and fixed place for all tools and materials.
- Gravity feed bins and containers should be used to deliver material close to the point of use
- Drop deliveries should be used wherever possible
- Materials and tools should be located to permit the best sequence of motions.
- Provisions should be made for adequate conditions for seeing. Good illumination is the first requirement
for satisfactory visual perception.
- The height of the work place and the chair should be preferably arranged so that alternate sitting and
standing at work are easily possible.

(3) Principles related to the Design of Tools & Equipment

- Combine tools whenever possible

- Preposition tools and materials
 - Where each finger performs some specific movement, the load should be distributed in accordance
with the inherent capacities of the fingers
- For light assembly, a screwdriver handle should be smaller at the bottom
- Momentum should be used to help the worker in doing their task not to increase their task
- The hands should be relieved of all work that can be done more advantageously by a jig, a fixture, or a
foot-operated device.
- Tools and materials should be prepositioned whenever possible.
- Where each finger performs some specific movement, such as in typewriting, the load should be
distributed in accordance with the inherent capacities of the fingers
- Levers, hand wheels, and other controls should be located in such positions that the operator can
manipulate them with the least change in body position and with the greatest speed and ease.

16. What’s Micromotion Study

- It is a technique for recording and timing an activity

- It consists of taking motion pictures of the operation with a clock in the picture (or with a video camera
running at a known speed
- The film is a permanent record of the method and the time and is always ready to be examined when
needed.

17. Purpose of Micromotion Study

- To assist in finding the preferred method of doing the work

- To assist in training the workers to understand the meaning of motion study and to enable them to apply
motion economy principles in a professional way

18. Procedure of making a Micromotion Study

1. Filming the operation to be studied.

2. Analysing the film.
3. Charting the results of the analysis
4. Developing the improved method
5. Implementing the improved method

(1) Filming the Operation:

- The speed of the camera used ranges from 960 to 1000 frames per minute. But faster cameras may be
used to study very fast hand motions or complex operations
- The pictures should be enlarged many times to facilitate the analysis of the motions
- Micromotion study should be used when it is economical to do so (short cycle highly repetitive
operations, large volume production, or operation performed by a large number of workers).
- Memomotion study:
- In memomotion study, the camera speed is at 60 or 100 frames per minute
- In addition to its use in industrial operations, it is used to study many other operations such as
check-in operations as airline counters, the manner in which customers select items in the store,
traffic flow on highways, and in banks
- It costs less than micromotion study (only costs 6% of the cost of a micromotion study

(2) Analysing the Film/ Critical Examination:

- Means by which each activity is subjected to a systematic and progressive series of questions.
- Grouping of activities: Five sets of activities can be grouped in two categories:
 - Those in which something actually happens to the work-piece (it is moved, worked upon or
examined)
- Those in which it is not being touched (in storage or in delay)
- Objective is to maximize proportion of “do” activities. All other activities, however necessary, are considered
“nonproductive.”

(3) Development:

- The shortcomings of the present process are brought out by the systematic questioning process that is
combined with a knowledge relevant to the process being examined
- Industrial may have the knowledge required or may not have the adequate knowledge
- They need to have a knowledge library to support their effort as well as access to the experts during the
study period
- Alternatives to the current activities which have the shortcomings are to be generated during this stage.

(4) Implementation:

- Industrial engineers of methods study persons have to train the operators and their supervisors in the
new method and participate in installing the method
- Industrial engineers have to conduct a periodic review of methods to observe modifications brought into
the installed methods by operators and supervisors and if they are beneficial, they have to be made
part of standard operating procedure (SOP).

19. Critical Examination

- In critical examination each element of the work as recorded on the chart is subjected to a systematic
and progressive series of the question with the purpose of determining the reason for which it is done
and also to find out the possible alternatives.
- The flow process chart records the five different elements of the work namely operation, transport,
inspection, storage and delay.
- The significance of these elements have already been elaborated:
- the operation leads the product closure to the leads raw material closure, towards it is
completion
- transport is about the movement of the man and material
- inspection is about checking the quality and quantity of the product
- storage is about the putting the things under some sort of authorization
- delay is when material is kept under unauthorized conditions and it is waiting to be unpacked or
it is waiting for further processing

- These five elements of the work, which are part of the work in all types of the activities are divided into
the two broad groups.
- First group contains those elements in which something is carried out with the work, which help for its
completion as a product. In these elements, material is being worked as its size and shape is changed,
its composition is changed, material is being inspected for it is dimensions for finish, material is being
transported
- In all these cases the material or the semi processed product is touched during the operation. So, these
activities in which something is actually happening with the material or the work piece, like the transport
operation and inspection, are grouped in first category
- Whereas storage and a delay elements in which the work piece or the raw material is not being touched
upon are involved in other category

(a) Make Ready activities:

- those activities which helps to prepare the job for further processing.
 - Make ready activities may be very important for producing a product or for doing the job like, setting
and holding of the raw material tools, degreasing the product transporting and clearing the things.
- These are the make ready activities and which will be important for further processing or for carrying
out any operation on the product.

(b) Do operations:
- Those which actually change the shape, size or the composition or the physical condition of the object.
- Do operations carry the product forward, towards it is completion, while the make ready activities may
be very necessary for doing the do operations.

(c) Put away activities:

- those which are carried out after completion of the do operation like, put away activities work is moved
aside.
- Putting away activities for one operation may be the make ready activity for the another operation

Out of these three groups of the elements, make ready activities and the put away activities may be very
important for completing the job, but these do not bring the product forward towards it is completion, only the
do operations take the product forward towards it is completion.

20. Questioning Techniques Necessity

- Aim is obviously to have as high proportion of "do operation" as possible since these are only ones
which carry the product forward in its progress from raw materials to completion.
- These are the only activities considered productive & others however necessary may be considered
non-productive
- To find out that what is productive and what is non productive, what is necessary and what is un
necessary irrelevant, questioning technique is applied in sequence.
- So, here we see the other activities which are considered non productive including a storage and delay
will be targeted first, efforts will be made to reduce the non productive activities first.
- And the unnecessary and redundant activities are identified there after by imposing a series of
questions in sequence
21. Questioning Techniques - Examination Procedure

A popular procedure uses two sets of questions:

(i) Primary questions (answers to these show up the necessity of carrying out the activity)
(ii) 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 practice.

(A) PRIMARY QUESTIONS. Objective: To reveal unnecessary or inefficency in existing method in respect
of: means, sequence, person or place

Aspects Question - I Question - II

Purpose What is done? Why is it done?

Place Where is it done? Why is it done at that place?

Sequence When is it done? Why is it done at that moment?

 Person Who does it? Why specifically that person?

Means How is it done? Why specifically that way?

● Purpose: The need of carrying out the activity is challenged by the questions - What is achieved? Is it
necessary? Why? The answers to these questions determine whether the particular activity will
included in the proposals of new method or not.
● Place: The location of carrying out the activity is challenged by the questions - Where is it done? and
Why there?
● Sequence: The time of carrying out the activity is challenged by the questions - When is it done? and
Why then?
● Person: The level of skill and experience of the performing the activity is challenged by the questions -
Who does it? and Why that person?
● Means - The means of carrying out the activity are challenged by the questions- 'How is it done? and
Why that way?

(B) SECONDARY QUESTIONS. Objective: To arrive at suitable alternatives to the presently used method

Aspects Question - I Question - II

Purpose What else can be done? What should be done?

Place Where else can it be done? Where should it be done?

Sequence When can it be done? When should it be done?

Person Who else can do it? Who should do it?

Means How else can it be done? How should it be done?

● Purpose: If the answer to the primary question 'Is the activity necessary" is convincingly ‘yes',
alternatives to achieve the object of carrying the activity are considered by the question - What else
could be done'?
● Place: Other places for carrying out the activity are considered by the question - Where else could it be
done?
● Sequence: The secondary question asked under this heading is- 'When else could it be done?
● Person: The possibilities for carrying out the activity by other persons are considered by asking the
question - Who else should do it?
● Means: All the alternative means to achieve the object are considered by the question - 'How else could
it be done?

(C) EVALUATION PHASE/ SELECTING FROM OPTIONS:

- These answers form the basis of the proposals for the improved method. The evaluation phase
requires the work study man to consider all the possibilities with respect to the four factors:
- economic
- safety
- work quality
- human factors

The economic factor being the most important in most situations.