Method study is the systematic examination and analysis of work processes to identify opportunities for improvement. The key steps in the method study process are: 1. Selecting a work process to study based on economic, technical, and human factors. Processes that are costly, impact bottlenecks, or involve repetitive labor are prioritized. 2. Accurately recording the details of the current process through direct observation. 3. Critically examining the process using a questioning technique that evaluates the purpose, place, sequence, person, and means of each activity to identify alternatives and determine the most effective approach. The systematic application of this questioning technique is essential for successfully analyzing work processes and developing improved methods.

1. Method Study

2. Method study is the systematic recording and critical examination of ways
of doing things in order to make improvements.
The basic approach to method study consists of the following eight
steps:
1. SELECT the work to be studied and define its boundaries.
2. RECORD the relevant facts about the job by direct observation and
collect such additional data as may be needed from appropriate
sources.
3. EXAMINE the way the job is being performed and challenge its
purpose, place, sequence and method of performance.
4. DEVELOP the most practical, economic and effective method.
5. EVALUATE different alternatives to developing a new improved
method, and compare the cost-effectiveness of the selected new
method with the current method of performance.
6. DEFINE the new method in a clear manner and present it to those
concerned, management, supervisors and workers.
7. INSTALL the new method as standard practice and train the
persons involved in applying it.
8. MAINTAIN the new method & introduce control procedures to
prevent a drawback to the previous method of work.

3. Selecting the work to be studied
There are three factors that should be kept
in mind when selecting a job.
1. Economic or cost-effective considerations.
2. Technical considerations.
3. Human considerations.
1. Economic considerations:
It is obviously a waste of time to start or
continue a long investigation if the economic
importance of a job is small.
Questions that should always be asked
• Will it pay to begin a method study of this job? Or
• Will it pay to continue this study?

4. Obvious choices for study are:
 A. Key profit-generating or costly operations or ones with the largest
Scrap/waste rates.
 B. Bottlenecks which are holding up other production operations, or
lengthy operations that consume a great deal of time.
 C. Operations involving repetitive work using a great deal of labor
and ones that are likely to run for a long time.
 D. Movements of material over long distances between workstations,
those involving the use of a relatively large proportion of labor or
which require repeated handling of material.
 One of the easiest techniques that can be used to identify key
operations as listed in part (A) is the Pareto analysis (sometimes
also referred to as “the ABC analysis of value analysis”).
 The same observation can be extended by saying that among all the
operations in a given plant a small number account for the largest
share of cost or of profit, or the largest percentage of waste.

5. To illustrate the point we will consider the following example.
 Let us assume that a certain enterprise produces 20 different
products. Each of these products generates a certain profit.
 By listing the annual production and profit contribution one obtains
the results shown in table 6.
 The next step consists of rearranging these items in descending
order of importance according to profit. The result would then
appear like the one shown in table 7.
 From table 7 it can be seen that three products only, listed as “A
items”, account for 60 per cent of the profit.
 These are the most profitable and any improvement in methods of
producing these particular products would reflect highly on profits.
They would be a priority for study.
 Products listed under “B”, which are seven in number, contribute 25
per cent of the profit. They could then assume a second importance,
while products “C” would command the last priority since their
contribution to profit is minimal.
 The same type of analysis can be conducted to determine “the most
costly products or processes” or “the products or processes that
yield the highest waste”.
 Those would then become a priority for study by the work study
specialist.

8. 2. Technical or technological considerations:
One of the important considerations is the desire by management to
acquire more advanced technology, i.e. in equipment or in processes.
 Therefore, management may want to computerize its office paperwork
or its inventory system, or to introduce automation in the production
operations.
 Before such steps are taken, a method study can point out the most
important needs of the enterprise in this respect.
 The introduction of new technology should therefore constitute an
important factor in the choice of methods of work to be investigated.
3. Human considerations:
 Certain operations are often a cause of dissatisfaction by workers.
 They may bring on fatigue or monotony or may be unsafe to operate.
 The level of satisfaction should point to a need for method study. In a
similar fashion, a choice of a particular job for study may lead to anxiety
or ill feeling. The suggestion given here is to leave it alone.

9. Record the facts
 The next step in the basic procedure, after selecting the
work to be studied, is to record all the facts relating to
the existing method.
 The success of the whole procedure depends on the
accuracy with which the facts are recorded, because
they will provide the basis of both the critical examination
and the development of the improved method.
 Recording serves essentially as a basis for following
analysis and examination.
 Recording may be carried out in two phases:
 First, a rough sketch or charting of the job being studied to
establish whether the recorded information is of use;
 Second, a more formal and accurate chart or diagram to include
in a report or presentation.

10. Examine critically: by using the questioning technique.
The questioning technique is the means by which the critical
examination is conducted, each activity being subjected in
turn to a systematic and progressive series of questions.
The primary questions
 The questioning sequence used follows a well-established
pattern which examines:

11.  In the first stage of the questioning technique, the
purpose, place, sequence, person and means of every
activity recorded are systematically questioned, and a
reason for each reply is required.

12. The secondary questions
 The secondary questions cover the second stage of the
questioning technique, during which the answers to the
primary questions are subjected to further question to
determine whether possible alternatives of place,
sequence, persons and/or means are feasible and
preferable as a means of improvement upon the existing
method
 Therefore, during this second stage of questioning
(having asked already, about every activity recorded,
what is done and why is it done), the method study
person goes on to inquire:
 What else might be done? And, hence: What should be
done? In the same way, the answers already obtained
on place, sequence, person and means are subjected to
further inquiry.

13. Combining the two primary questions with the two secondary questions
under each of the headings “purpose, place”, etc., yields the following
list, which sets out the questioning technique in full:
PURPOSE: What is done? Why is it done? What else might be done?
What should be done?
PLACE: Where is it done? Why is it done there? Where else might it be done?
Where should it be done?
SEQUENCE: When is it done? Why is it done then? When might it be done?
When should it be done?
PERSON: Who does it? Why does that person do it? Who else might do it?
Who should do it?
MEANS: How is it done? Why is it done that way? How else might it be done?
How should it be done?
These questions, in the above sequence, must be asked systematically
every time a method study is undertaken.
They are the basis of successful method study.