WORK EVALUATION

Introduction
Work evaluation consists of;
 work design and
 work measurement.
Work evaluation helps tremendously in the;
 integration of human resources and
 production technology.
Thus it helps in;
 improvement of quality and
 productivity
by matching the human machine interface.

Definition:
Work evaluation is the process of designing task to accommodate human needs, while
simultaneously achieving necessary levels of productivity and quality.

The need for work evaluation

a. To carry out production in an economic manner
b. The most efficient way of performing task must be ascertained and introduced
c. Time to complete a task must be determined for operator with 100% efficiency
d. Operator should be motivated and provided with incentives to carry out the task in
allotted time

Work design
This is the element of work evaluation that deals with;
 specification of human-technology interfaces.
Work design therefore specifies the;
 contents,
 functions,
 processes, and
 relationships
for an individual or small group to achieve defined task while simultaneously satisfying
personal needs.

Work measurements
Work measurement entails;
 development of time standards for various specific work activities and
 measures actual performance against those standards.

Essence of work evaluation

1. Facilitating of operation planning
a. Capacity definition (equipment, materials, processes, labour, job design,
and performance estimates)

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b. Production process costing (permits budgeting, competitive pricing,
productivity, process alteration etc)
c. Job scheduling (task time etc)

2. Assessment of labour productivity

a. Job description (recruitment, hiring, training etc)
b. Performance measurement (productivity, promotion, discipline, training etc)
c. Incentive compensation programme (reward high performance, motivate
productivity etc)

WORK DESIGN
This defines the overall professional environment and reinforces management
expectations for a particular job.
1. The Work Environment Consisting Of
A. The general work environment
a. Temperature and humidity
-body temperature maintained at 96.6 degrees F.
-protective clothing
-greater physical movement
-temperature upper limit 90 degrees F
-temperature lower limit 65 degree F

b. Light and Colour

-natural light preferred
-contact with external environment reduces claustrophobia
-rough surfaces to reduce glare
-colour to achieve psychological effect
-colour to visually discriminate (natural colours for thoughtful, calm
behaviours areas)

c. Noise and vibrations

-noise causes irritability, pain, injury
-Total silence can cause uneasiness
-Increase in 10db indicates 10 times increased in intensity.
-Maximum of 90db exposure for eight hours
-Maximum of 115db exposure for 15 minutes only.

d. Air quality
-proper ventilation
-smoking restrictions

B. The immediate task situation

a. Labour - technology interface
-Manual task (major muscles)
-Mechanical tasks (central nervous system and smaller muscles)

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 -Information Task (mental evaluation including visual perception or
display, imagination, conceptualisation)

b. Work organisation
-ergonomics to increase productivity by increasing speed, accuracy, and
safety of task performance

c. Work and human energy

-for increased safety and accuracy, reduce fatigue
-colories expenditure can be used to estimate amount of rest for various
types of physical labour.

R = 60 (C - S)/(C - 1.5)

R -rest required in minutes per hour for sustained work

C- calories expended in average calories per minute
S- standard for minimum energy expenditure (normally for 4.0 calories
per minute)

d. On the job safety

-increase attention to working conditions
-labour laws and business policies limit work hours
-reduce fatigue
-control age of workers

2. Labour specialisation
Labour specialisation is a key issue in wok design because it:
- permits development of higher productivity,
- contribute to a high standard of living.
Extreme specialisation however creates:
- monotony,
- boredom, and
- lack of involvement in work.
Advantages of specialisation include:
- cost effectiveness,
- high productivity and
- quality.
The degree of specialisation is a continuum of generalised to specialised. Highly
generalised jobs are not competitive. High specialisation leads to strikes etc.

The Generalisation - specialisation continuum.

Generalisation Factor Specialisation

Benefits to management
Lower Productivity Higher
Lower Management Control Higher

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 Lower Overhead Cost Higher
Lower Hidden cost (absenteeism, Higher
grievances, turnover,
destruction)
Neutral Benefit (equal benefit to management and labour)
Mental Fatigue Physical
Higher Wages Lower
Higher Worker innovation Lower
Benefits to Labour
Higher Training (self- Lower
development)
Higher Employee involvement Lower
Higher Worker social interaction Lower

3. Job description
Identify the Job and Job qualifications through;
- written overview of knowledge,
- skills and abilities of tasks in measurable terms.
This is used for:
- recruitment,
- placements,
- training,
- pay grading and industrial relations contract negotiations,
- performance evaluation

Efficiency of Inefficiency of Curve 1

High Specialisation Specialisation

Best level

Total
Cost/
Unit of
Output Curve 2
Best level

Low
Low High
Level of Specialisation

WORK MEASUREMENT
This deal with the ways a worker performance standards can be set and individual worker
performance evaluated ones job tasks have been precisely defined.
Work measurement consists of;
1. Motion study
2. Time studies

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 3. Learning curves.

1. MOTION STUDY
This is the detailed evaluation of employee work actions usually conducted by the
method analyst.
The importance of motion study
- to improve work methods,
- to make tasks easier or safer (eliminate unnecessary movements, shorten
necessary movements, and make them untiring)
- increase quality
- increase productivity

a. Motion Economy
This ensures that movements are efficient and necessary

The principles of motion economy.

1. Two hands should begin and complete their motion at the same time
2. Two hands should not be idle at the same time unless during rest period
3. Arms motion should be made in opposite and symmetric directions and
should be simultaneous
4. Materials and tools should be located to permit the best sequence of
motions
5. Hands and lower arms movement preferred to upper arm and shoulder
movement for light works
6. Rhythm is essential to smooth automatic performance
7. Tools, materials and controls should be located close to and directly
in front of the operator
8. Gravity feed bins, and containers should be used to deliver materials close
to the point of use.
9. Drop deliveries should be used wherever possible
10. Hands should be relieved of all works that can be done by a jig or fixture
or foot operated machine
11. Smooth continuous motions preferred to straight line or zig-zag motions
involving sudden and sharp changes in directions

b. Process charts
These are graphic representation of the sequence of all:
- operations,
- inspections,
- transportation,
- storage, and
- delays
occurring during a process or procedure. It also includes information considered
desirable for analysis such as;
 time required and

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  distances move.
They are schematic models used to evaluate motion economy. They formalise the
existing work method and assist in planning improved procedures.

Types of Process Charts

i. Assembly process chart
-it identifies the operations, their sequencing and their relationship.
ii. The flow process chart (material, man, work station)
-It shows the timing and distances of a method.
iii. The right and left hand chart, man-machine chart and the simultaneous
motion chart.
-These are concerned with the operator rather than the product. They
show, respectively, the interaction of the hand, the human-machine
interface, and a micro-motion analysis.

c. Micro-motion studies
Moving pictures are taken of the motion pattern. The pictures are then examined
frame by frame.
Symbols used in flow process charts.
-Operation -delay

-inspection -storage

-transportation

Example
A materials flow process chart for a sliding door assembly. The final assembly shall
consist of a 9mm diameter rivet, an aluminium handle, all fixed on an 200mm x 254mm
x 6mm aluminium flat plate after some series of metal working processes.

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9mm dia rivet Aluminium handles 200x254x6mm3 aluminium flat plate

Unload Purchased Rivet Unload Purchased Handles Unload Purchased plates

Transport to Store Transport to Store Transport to Store

Unload at store Unload at store Unload at store

Inspect for quality Inspect for quality Inspect for quality

Store until requisitioned Store until requisitioned Store until

requisitioned
Trans to DrillPress
Transport to Assembly Transport to Assembly Delayed at press
Department Department awaiting processing
Drill two holes on
plate

Inspect for location of

holes
Transport
to Assembly Dept.

Assemble handle,
plate and rivet

Inspect assembly for

satisfactory
fixing of handle

Transport to final
assembly dept.

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 A Man Flow Process Chart
Example: Transporting flat plates and assembled sliding panel doors
.
Opens door and enters store room with platform truck
15’ Pushes truck to location at which flat plates are stored

Examines contents of box for identification

Loads box of flat plates on truck
15’ Pushes truck to store room door

Opens door and leaves store room

50’ Pushes truck to drill press

Unloads boxes of plates from truck

Loads boxes of previously drilled plates on truck
100’ Pushes truck to assembly department

Waits for instructions as to where box is to be unloaded

Is told where box is to be unloaded

12’ Pushes truck to assembler who requires drilled plates
Unloads box of drilled plates from truck

Loads box of assembled sliding panel doors

30’ Pushes truck to final assembly department

Unloads box of assembled sliding panel doors from truck

200’ Returns with empty truck to store room.

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A Work Station Flow Process Chart
Example: Inspection of flat plates

Picks up box of flat plates

Carries box to inspection table

Places box on table

Inspects flat plates

Places satisfactory plates in container

Carries container of satisfactory plates to skid

Places container on skid
Returns to inspection table

Places defective plates in a second container

Carries container of defective plate to a second skid

Places container on skid

Walks to desk

Fills out inspection report

Goes to pick up a second box of flat plates for inspection

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2. TIME STUDIES.
Time studies are often conducted after motion studies to avoid establishing a time
standard for a poor method. Time data can be obtained from any of the following
sources.
- stop-watch data
- work sampling data
- published time data
- non scientific data
a. Stopwatch time studies
This establishes an average cycle time for a normal operator performing at a
normal level of effort.

Steps of undertaking stopwatch time study

- determine the proper work method
- select a representative operator
- define the work elements
- conduct observations and timing.
- calculate the average time
- rate operator performance and compute normal time.
- adjust for allowance
- compute standard time
- compute number of cycles to count

Relationships

- Normal time NT
NT =AT x PR
AT = Actual time
PR = Performance rate

- Standard time ST
ST = NT x PA
PA = 1 + % allowance (where allowance is a percentage of normal time)

- Computation of number of cycles

n = Z2x S2x/e2
Sx = {(∑Xi – X) 2/(N – 1)}1/2
Xi = Each time observation
N = Number of cycles observed in sample
Sx = The sample standard deviation
e = The acceptable error
Z = Standard score for confidence interval, normally
Z = 2 for 95% confidence
Z = 3 for 99% confidence

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 X = The average observations
n = Number of cycles to count
3. THE LEARNING CURVE.
 The time standard developed above assumes that the workers are familiar
and experienced with the task and the process is relatively stable.
 However, in many instances the workers are just becoming familiar with
the task or the process is undergoing revolutionary improvement.
 When such learning is occurring, the time required for production of
successive units is declining and productivity and quality are improving
and unit costs are going down.

Factors that can interrupt learning rate

- change in product design
- change in production technology
- change in market conditions

The learning of work behaviour

The learning curve is described by the model
TN = T1NR
TN = Time required to produce the nth unit
T1 = Time required to produce the first unit
N = The number of units
R = Improvement rate = LogeL/Loge2
L = Learning percentage
Each time production quantity doubles, the direct time per unit reduces to 75
percent of its former level.

Time per
unit

Number of individual units produced

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Example
A manufacturing industry in Kano generated the following time data to determine the
standard time for the production of a mobile phone casing. Using the data, evaluate the
additional number of cycles needed to authenticate the standard time for the operations.
Assume a 95% confidence interval, an allowable error of 0.004, and performance rates of
0.97, 0.87, 01.05, 1.10 and 1.20 respectively. The following % allowances are provided-
personal, 5%, unavoidable delays 8% and fatigue 5%.
Cycle Work elements continuous time
(minutes)
1 2 3 4 5
1 23 36 52 62 74
2 94 108 129 139 150
3 171 187 205 214 224
4 243 258 275 285 298
5 320 335 353 362 374
6 393 405 425 437 448
7 469 485 502 511 524
8 547 564 582 593 605

Solution

Cycle Work elements discrete time (minutes)

1 2 3 4 5
1 23 13 16 10 12
2 20 14 21 10 11
3 21 16 18 9 10
4 19 15 17 10 13
5 22 15 18 9 12
6 19 12 20 12 11
7 21 16 17 9 13
8 23 17 18 11 12
Av. Time 21.0 14.8 18.1 10.0 11.8
Normal
Time 20.4 12.8 19.0 11.0 14.1
Standard
Time 24.04 15.14 22.46 12.98 16.64
Standard
Dev 1.6036 1.6690 1.6421 1.0690 1.0351
Z2 x Sx2 10.28571 11.14286 10.78571 4.571429 4.285714
No of
Cycles 642857.1 696428.6 674107.1 285714.3 267857.1

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The number of cycles needed to authenticate the standard time is 696428.6 or 696429.
The company has to carry out 696421 more trial operations before using the data to
calculate the standard time.

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