WORK MEASUREMENT

 Work measurement is the application of techniques designed to establish the time for an average worker
to carry out a specified manufacturing task at a defined level of performance.
 It is concerned with the duration of time it takes to complete a work task assigned to a specific job.
TIME STUDY

 Time study is a work measurement technique for recording the time of performing a certain specific job
or its element carried out under specific condition and for analyzing the data so as to obtain the time
necessary for an operator to carry out at a defined rate of performance.

 Time study is a method of direct observation. A trained observer watches the job and records data as the
job is being performed over a number of cycles.

 Time study is used to determine the time required by a qualified and well-trained person working at a
normal pace to do a specified task.

Standard time - the time that a person suited to the job and fully trained in the specified method
Qualified Employee - a representative average of those employees who are fully trained and able satisfactorily
to perform any and all phases of the work involved, in accordance with the requirements of the job under
consideration.
Standard pace - effective rate of performance of a conscientious, self-paced, qualified employee when working
neither fast nor slow and giving due consideration to the physical, mental, or visual requirements of the specific
job.
USES FOR TIME STUDY

 Determining schedules and planning work.

 Determining standard costs and as an aid in preparing budgets.
 Estimating the cost of a product before manufacturing it.
 Determining machine effectiveness, the number of machines which one person can operate, and as an
aid in balancing assembly lines and work done on a conveyor.
 Determining time standards to be used as a basis for the payment of a wage incentive to direct labor and
indirect labor.
 Determining time standards to be used as a basis for labor cost control.

TIME STUDY EQUIPMENT

1. STOPWATCH – most widely used timing device for time study
Two types of stop watches:
1. Traditional decimal minute watch (0.01 min)
2. Electronic stopwatch (more practical)
2. VIDEOTAPE CAMCORDERS – ideal for recording operators’ methods and elapsed time; by taking
pictures of the operation and then studying them one frame at a time, analysts can record exact details
of the method used and then assign normal time values.
 3. TIME STUDY BOARD – a lightweight board, slightly larger than the observation sheet, is used to hold
the paper and the stop watch. There are many different arrangements, but it seems best to have the
watch mounted rigidly somewhere near the upper right-hand corner of the board and observation sheets
held in place by some form of clamp at the side or top of the board.

4. TIME STUDY FORMS – printed forms with spaces provided for recording information about the operation
being studied. The operation being studied is identified by such information as the operator’s name and
number, operation description and number, department where the operation is performed, and prevailing
working conditions.

5. TIME STUDY SOFTWARE – several software packages are available for the time study analyst. Some
of these run on personal digital assistants (PDAs), including QuickTimes by Applied Computer Services,
Inc.

TIME STUDY ELEMENTS

 CHOOSING THE OPERATOR – The first step in beginning a time study is to select the operator with the
assistance of the departmental or line supervisor. In general, an operator who is average or somewhat
above average in performance gives a more satisfactory study than a low-skilled or highly superior
operator. The average operator usually performs the work consistently and systematically.
 RECORDING SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION – Analyst should record the machines, hand tools, jigs or
fixtures, working conditions, materials, operations, operator name and clock number, department, study
date, and observer’s name.
 RECORDING SIGNIFICANT INFORMATION – Analyst should record the machines, hand tools, jigs or
fixtures, working conditions, materials, operations, operator name and clock number, department, study
date, and observer’s name.
 DIVIDING THE OPERATION INTO ELEMENTS – for ease of measurement, the operation should be
divided into groups of motions known as elements. To divide the operation into its individual elements,
the analyst should watch the operator for several cycles.

REASONS FOR ELEMENT BREAKDOWN

Timing an entire operation as one element is seldom satisfactory, and an over-all study is no substitute
for a time study. Breaking the operation down into short elements and timing each of them separately are
essential parts of time study, for the following reasons:
1. One of the best ways to describe an operation is to break it down into definite and measurable elements
and describe each of these separately. Those elements of the operation that occur regularly are usually
listed first, and then all other elements that are necessary part of the job are described. It is sometimes
desirable to prepare a detailed description of the elements of an operation on a separate sheet and attach
it to the observation sheet. The beginning and end points for each element may be specifically indicated.
2. Standard time values may be determined for the elements of the job. Such element time standards or
standard data make it possible to determine the total standard time for an operation.
3. A time study may show that excessive time is being taken to perform certain elements of the job or that
too little time is being spent on other elements.
4. An operator may not work at the same tempo throughout the cycle. A time study permits separate
performance ratings to be applied to each element of the job.
 NOTE: When time studies are to be made of a new product or a new type of work, a careful analysis should
be made of all variables of the work that are likely to occur. It is desirable to establish standard data as soon
as possible, and such standards can be developed more quickly if the general framework of the standards
is prepared before any time studies are made. It is especially important to prepare a definition of elements
so that these same elements may be used in all time studies.

RULES FOR DIVIDING AN OPERATION INTO ELEMENTS

All manual work may be divided into fundamental hand motions or therbligs. These subdivisions are too
short in duration to be timed with a stop watch. A number of them, therefore, must be grouped together into
elements of a sufficient length to be conveniently timed. Three rules should be followed in dividing an
operation into elements:
1. The elements should be as short in duration as can be accurately timed. Elemental divisions of around
.04 min are about as fine as can be read consistently by an experienced time study analyst.
2. Handling time should be separated from machine time.
3. Constant elements should be separated from variable elements.

MAKING THE TIME STUDY

The exact procedure used in making time studies may vary somewhat, depending upon the type of
operation being studied and the application that is to be made of the data obtained. These eight steps are usually
required:
1. Secure and record information about the operation and operator being studied.
2. Divide the operation into elements and record a complete description of the method.
3. Observe and record the time taken by the operator.
4. Determine the number of cycles to be timed.
5. Rate the operator’s performance.
6. Check to make certain that a sufficient number of cycles have been timed.
7. Determine the allowances.
8. Determine the time standard for the operation.

REQUEST FOR A TIME STUDY

A time study is not made unless an authorized person requests it. Usually it is the supervisor who
requests that a study be made, but the plant manager, chief engineer, production control supervisor, cost
accountant, or other member of the organization may make such a request.
If a time standard is to be established on a new job for wage incentive purposes, in most plants, it is the
supervisor’s responsibility to make certain that the operation is running satisfactorily before requesting the study.
The supervisor should also see that the operators have thoroughly learned the job and that they are following
the prescribed method. The supervisor should inform the operators in advance that a time study is to be made,
stating the purpose of the study.
IS THE JOB READY FOR TIME STUDY?
After a request for a time study has been received by the time study department and an analyst has been
assigned to make the study, he or she should go over the job with the supervisor of the department. As they
discuss each element of the operation, the analyst asks the question, “Is this operation ready for a time study?”
The time standard established for a job will not be correct if the method of doing the job has changed, if
the materials do not meet specifications, if the machine speed has changed, or if other conditions of work are
different from those that were present when the time study was originally made. It is expected that the time study
analyst will be trained in motion study and will bring all possible knowledge in this field to bear on the operation
about to be studied.

TAKING AND RECORDING THE DATA

The three most common methods of reading and stop watch are:
1. CONTINUOUS TIMING – In the continuous method of timing the observer starts the watch at the
beginning of the first element and permits it to run continuously during the period of the study. The
observer notes the reading of the watch at the end of each element and records this reading on the
observation sheet, opposite its name symbol.
2. REPETITIVE TIMING – In the repetitive or snap-back method the hands of the watch are snapped back
to zero at the end of each element. In a like manner the observer times the rest of the elements. This
method of timing gives the direct time without subtractions, and the data are recorded on the observation
sheet as read from the watch.
3. ACCUMULATIVE TIMING – The accumulative method of timing permits the direct reading of the time
for each element by the use of the two stop watches. These watches are mounted close together on the
observation board and are connected by a lever mechanism in such a way that when the first watch is
started the second watch is automatically stopped, and when the second watch is started the first is
stopped. The watch may be snapped back to zero immediately after it is read, thus making subtractions
unnecessary.

RECORDING THE STOP-WATCH READINGS

The general policy of carefully timing every part of the operation should be a requirement. If, for example,
every fifth or every tenth piece is gauged, such information should be included in the observation sheet and a
sufficient number of readings of this element should be made to include it in the time for the operation.
When foreign elements occur, they should be timed and recorded on the observation sheet. These
elements may or may not be included in the time standard, depending upon their nature. Foreign elements are
elements that do not occur regularly in the cycle, such as accidentally dropping a wrench or piece of material on
the floor, or placing oil on a tight screw in a jig.

NUMBER OF CYCLES TO BE TIMED

The time required to perform the elements of an operation may be expected to vary slightly from cycle to
cycle. Even if the operator worked at a uniform pace, each element of consecutive cycles would not always be
performed in exactly the same time. Variations in time may result from such things as a difference in the exact
position of the parts and tools used by the operator, or from possible differences in determining the exact end
point at which the watch reading is made.
Time study is a sampling process; consequently, the greater the number of cycles timed, the more nearly
the results will be representative of the activity being measured. Consistency of watch readings is of major
interest to the analyst. The greater the variability of the readings for an element, the larger the number of
observations will have to be for a desired accuracy.
FORMULA FOR DETERMINING NUMBER OF OBSERVATIONS
For 95 percent confidence level and ±5 percent precision:
2
40√𝑁 ∑ 𝑋 2 − (∑ 𝑋)2
( )
∑𝑋

For 95 percent confidence level and ±10 percent precision:

2
20√𝑁 ∑ 𝑋 2 − (∑ 𝑋)2
( )
∑𝑋

NUMBER OF CYCLES DETERMINATION

To determine sample size:

𝑧𝑠 2
𝑛=( )
𝑎𝑥̅
𝑧= number of standard deviations from the mean in a normal distribution reflecting a level of statistical
confidence

∑(𝑥𝑖 −𝑥̅ )2
𝑠=√ = sample standard deviation
𝑛−1

𝑥̅ = average job cycle time from the sample time study

𝑎 = accuracy level desired

COMMON 𝑧 VALUES

𝒛 Value (standard
deviation required for
Desired Confidence (%)
desired level of
confidence)
90.0 1.645
95.0 1.96
95.45 2.00
98 2.33
99.0 2.575
99.73 3.00