Work measurement is the application of techniques which is 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. It means the time taken to complete one unit of work or operation it also that the work should completely complete in a complete basis under certain circumstances which take into account of accountants time
Usage Work measurement helps to uncover non-standardization that exist in the workplace and non-value adding activities and waste. A work has to be measured for the following reasons:
To discover and eliminate lost or ineffective time. To establish standard times for performance measurement. To measure performance against realistic expectations. To set operating goals and objectives.
Techniques Analytical estimating Predetermined motion time systems Standard data system Synthesis from elemental data Time study Work sampling
Purpose Work Measurement is a technique for establishing a Standard Time, which is the required time to perform a given task, based on time measurements of the work content of the prescribed method, with due consideration for fatigue and for personal and unavoidable delays. Method study is the principal technique for reducing the work involved, primarily by eliminating unnecessary movement on the part of material or operatives and by substituting good methods for poor ones. Work measurement is concerned with investigating, reducing and subsequently eliminating ineffective time, that is time during which no effective work is being performed, whatever the cause. Work measurement, as the name suggests, provides management with a means of measuring the time taken in the performance of an operation or series of operations in such a way that ineffective time is shown up and can be separated from effective time. In this way its existence, nature and extent become known where previously they were concealed within the total.
Uses Revealing existing causes of ineffective time through study, important though it is, is perhaps less important in the long term than the setting of sound time standards, since these will continue to apply as long as the work to which they refer continues to be done. They will also show up any ineffective time or additional work which may occur once they have been established. In the process of setting standards it may be necessary to use work measurement: To compare the efficiency of alternative methods. Other conditions being equal, the method which takes the least time will be the best method. To balance the work of members of teams, in association with multiple activity charts, so that, as nearly as possible, each member has a task taking an equal time to perform. To determine, in association with man and machine multiple activity charts, the number of machines an operative can run. The time standards, once set, may then be used: To provide information on which the planning and scheduling of production can be based, including the plant and labour requirements for carrying out the programme of work and the utilisation of available capacity. To provide information on which estimates for tenders, selling prices and delivery promises can be based. To set standards of machine utilisation and labour performance which can be used for any of the above purposes and as a basis for incentive schemes. To provide information for labour-cost control and to enable standard costs to be fixed and maintained. It is thus clear that work measurement provides the basic information necessary for all the activities of organising and controlling the work of an enterprise in which the time element plays a part. Its uses in connection with these activities will be more clearly seen when we have shown how the standard time is obtained.
Techniques of work measurement The following are the principal techniques by which work measurement is carried out:
Time study Activity sampling Predetermined motion time systems Synthesis from standard data Estimating Analytical estimating Comparative estimating Of these techniques we shall concern ourselves primarily with time study, since it is the basic technique of work measurement. Some of the other techniques either derive from it or are variants of it.
Time study Time Study consists of recording times and rates of work for elements of a specified job carried out under specified conditions to obtain the time necessary to carry out a job at a defined level of performance. In this technique the job to be studied is timed with a stopwatch, rated, and the Basic Time calculated.
Requirements for effective time study The requirements for effective time study are: a. Co-operation and goodwill b. Defined job c. Defined method d. Correct normal equipment e. Quality standard and checks f. Experienced qualified motivated worker g. Method of timing h. Method of assessing relative performance i. Elemental breakdown j. Definition of break points k. Recording media One of the most critical requirements for time study is that of elemental breakdown. There are some general rules concerning the way in which a job should be broken down into elements. They include the following. Elements should be easily identifiable, with definite beginnings and endings so that, once established, they can be repeatedly recognised. These points are known as the break points and should be clearly described on the study sheet. Elements should be as short as can be conveniently timed by the observer. As far as possible, elements – particularly manual ones – should be chosen so that they represent naturally unified and distinct segments of the operation.
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