Work study encompasses techniques such as method study and work measurement aimed at improving productivity and efficiency in operations by analyzing the best methods and time standards for tasks. Key objectives include reducing waste, standardizing processes, and enhancing workforce and resource utilization. Work measurement specifically focuses on determining time requirements for tasks to facilitate better planning and productivity improvements.

1. UNIT-3
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2. Definition of Work Study
• Work study is a generic term for those
techniques, particularly method study and
work measurement, which are used in all its
context and which lead systematically to the
investigation of all the factors, which effect
the efficiency and economy of the situation
being reviewed in order to effect
improvement.

3. • The main objective of work study is to improve
productivity of men, machines and materials.
The aim of work study is to determine the best
method of performing each operation and to
eliminate wastage so that production increases
with less fatigue. The work study is also used in
determining the standard time that a qualified
worker should take to perform the operation
when working at a normal place.

4. Work study is a technique which deals with the following problems:
• (a) As to how should a job be done, and
• (b) How much time a job should take for
completion.
• Answer for the first question is found by
Motion Study or Method Study or Work
Simplification. Answer for the second question
is found by the Time Study or Work
Measurement.

5. Role of Work Study:
• 1. To standardise the method of doing a work,
• 2. To minimise the unit cost of production,
• 3. To determine the standard time for doing a
task,
• 4. To minimise the material movement, and
operators movement
• 5. To eliminate unnecessary human movements,
• 6. To utilise facilities such as man, machine and
materials most effectively, and

6. Objectives of Work Study
• 1. Increased efficiency,
• 2. Better product quality,
• 3. To choose the fastest method to do a job,
• 4. To improve the working process,
• 5. Less fatigue to operators and workers
• 6. Effective labour control,
• 7. Effective utilisation of resources,
• 8. To decide equipment requirements,
• 9. To pay fair wages
• 10. To aid in calculating exact delivery,
• 11. To formulate realistic labour budgeting, and
• 12. To decide the required manpower to do a job.

7. Meaning and Definition of Work Measurement:
• Work measurement is concerned with the determination of
the amount of time required to perform a unit of work.
Work measurement is very important for promoting
productivity of an organization. It enables management to
compare alternate methods and also to do initial staffing.
Work measurement provides basis for proper planning.
• Since it is concerned with the measurement of time it is
also called ‘Time Study’. The exact examination of time is
very essential for correct pricing. To find the correct
manufacturing time for a product, time study is performed.

8. Objectives of Work Measurement:
• 1. To compare the times of performance by
alternative methods.
• 2. To enable realistic schedule of work to be prepared.
• 3. To arrive at a realistic and fair incentive scheme.
• 4. To analyse the activities for doing a job with the
view to reduce or eliminate unnecessary jobs.
• 5. To minimise the human effort.
• 6. To assist in the organisation of labour by daily
comparing the actual time with that of target time.

9. Uses of Work Measurement
• 1.Wok measurement is used in planning work and in drawing out
schedules.
• 2. Wok measurement is used to determine standard costs.
• 3. Wok measurement is used as an aid in preparing budgets.
• 4. It is used in balancing production lines for new products.
• 5. Wok measurement is used in determining machine
effectiveness.
• 6. To determine time standards to be used as a basis for labour
cost control.
• 7. To establish supervisory objectives and to provide a basis for
measuring supervisory efficiency.
• 8. To determine time standards to be used for providing a basis for
wage incentive plans.

10. Method Study
• Method study is the technique of systematic
recording and critical examination of existing
and proposed ways of doing work and
developing an easier and economical method

11. Objectives of Method Study
• 1. Improvement of manufacturing processes and procedures.
• 2. Improvement of working conditions.
• 3. Improvement of plant layout and work place layout.
• 4. Reducing the human effort and fatigue.
• 5. Reducing material handling
• 6. Improvement of plant and equipment design.
• 7. Improvement in the utility of material, machines and
manpower.
• 8. Standardisation of method.
• 9. Improvement in safety standard

12. BASIC PROCEDURE FOR METHOD STUDY
• 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.

13. 1. . Select
• (a) Economical factors.
• (b) Human factors.
• (c) Technical factors.
• (a) 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.
• (a) Operations having bottlenecks (which holds up other
production activities).
• (b) Operations done repetitively.

14. • (b) 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

15. • (c) 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. Beyond this, it cannot be improved. For
example, a work study man feels that speed of the
machine tool may be increased and HSS tool may be
used. But the capacity of the machine may not permit
increased speed. In this case, the suggestion of the
work study man cannot be implemented. These types
of technical factors should be considered.

16. • 2. 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
• (a) Man type All the activities of man are recorded
• (b) Material type All the activities of the material are recorded
• (c) 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

17. Relationship of Time and Motion Study to
Work Study

18. Relationship of Time and Motion Study to
Work Study
• Time study is all about determining the ideal
time taken in the performance of a well-
defined job. On the other hand, Motion
study is the analysis of human work, to find
out the best method of doing it which involves
least efforts.

20. Work Study Procedure

21. • There are broadly three types of productivity
measurements and these are explained
below:
• 1. Single-Factor Productivity Measurement.
• 2. Multi-Factor Productivity Measurement.
• 3. Total (Composite) Factor Productivity
Measures.
• 4. Total Productivity Model.

22. 1. SINGLE-FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
MEASUREMENT
• Single-Factor Productivity is a measure of output against
specific input. Partial productivity is concerned with
efficiency of one class of input. Its significance lies in its
focus on utilization of one resource. Labor productivity is a
single factor productivity measure. It is the ratio of output
to labor input (units of output per labor hour). Material
productivity is the ratio of output to materials input.
Machine productivity is the ratio of machine units of output
per machine hour, output per unit machine. Capital
productivity is the ratio of output to capital input and it is
measured in Rupees. Energy Productivity is units of output
per kilowatthour (Rupee value of output per kilowatt-hour).

23. 2. MULTI-FACTOR PRODUCTIVITY
MEASUREMENT
• The concept of multi-factor productivity was developed by
Scott D. Sink, multifactor productivity measurement model
considered labour, material and energy as major inputs.
Capital was deliberately left out as it is most difficult to
estimate how much capital is being consumed per unit/ time.
The concept of depreciation used by accountants make it
further difficult to estimate actual capital being consumed.
Multi-factor productivity is ratio of output to a group of
inputs such as; labor, energy and material. Multi-factor
productivity is an index of output obtained from more than
one of the resources (inputs) used in production. It is the ratio
of net output to the sum of associated labor and other factor
inputs.

24. 3. TOTAL (COMPOSITE) FACTOR
PRODUCTIVITY MEASURES
• The Total Factor Productivity model developed
by John W. Kendrick in 1951, he has taken only
labour and capital as only two input factors. In
an effort to improve productivity of labour,
company may install more machinery and then
productivity of labour will go up bringing down
the capital productivity. Therefore, labour and
capital are considered to be the most significant
in contribution in the process of production.

25. 4. TOTAL PRODUCTIVITY MODEL
• Total Productivity Model was developed by David J.
Sumanth in 1979 considered five items as inputs. These
are human, material, capital, energy and other expenses.
This model can be applied in any manufacturing or
service organization.
• Total Tangible Output = Value of finished units produced +
Partial units produced + Dividends from securities +
Interests from bonds + other incomes. Total Tangible
Inputs = Value of human inputs + Capital inputs +
Materials purchased + Energy inputs + other expenses
(taxes, transport & office expenses etc.).

26. Ways of Improving Productivity.
1. Review Your Existing Workflow
• You won’t know what can be changed until you know how everything
works now. Three areas contain critical information to help you identify
needed changes.
• People - Do you have people with the right skills in the right places? Do
you have a project manager to keep the critical pathway visible and on
track? Are objectives clearly defined, realistic, and safe?
• Processes - When was the last time you mapped your processes? Have
you used value stream mapping to assess process improvement projects?
Where are the pain points and bottlenecks?
• Equipment and technology - Is all your equipment in good repair? Is the
technology you rely on optimal for your current needs? How easy is it to
make changes in production?

27. Ways of Improving Productivity.
2 - Update Processes and Technology
• Once you have reviewed and mapped your existing workflow, start
identifying areas where processes and/or technology could use
some updating or changing. Processes that have been in place for
a long time may be riddled with workarounds as new equipment
was added or production methods changed.
• Automation is a powerful tool for increasing efficiency and
reducing error.
• New software solutions can help with scheduling, inventory, and
monitoring workflow.
• Improvements in equipment can improve production speed and
quality.

28. Ways of Improving Productivity.
3. Commit to Scheduled Maintenance
• The fastest way to slow things down is by ignoring regular
maintenance. Downtime for maintenance costs much less than
downtime due to broken and worn equipment. Maintenance can
be scheduled; breakage always comes at the worst possible time.
• Train all operators in regular maintenance and troubleshooting
procedures.
• Schedule preventive maintenance at regular intervals.
• Identify the best time for maintenance by using information from
the floor and your workflow processes.
• Don’t delay maintenance.

29. Ways of Improving Productivity.
4 - Train and Educate Employees
• Employee education and training is an ongoing process. In some
industries, certain types of training are mandatory, such as daily
safety training for all personnel using safety gear. New equipment
and technology requires training to get the most value. Employee
education is also an excellent retention tactic; new employees take
time to become proficient, causing a slowdown in production.
• Schedule training sessions for all operators when new equipment is
installed.
• Keep accurate records of training and schedule refreshers if
needed.
• Offer educational opportunities for employees who wish to advance
or obtain new skills.

30. Ways of Improving Productivity.
5. Organize the Workspace
• Reducing movement and clutter saves time.
• Reduce movement for optimal task efficiency.
• Create the optimal layout of tools and materials for the
job or process.
• Remove unneeded or unused tools and materials from
the workspace.
• Create organized storage to reduce time to find materials,
documents, and equipment.
• Layout the manufacturing floor to maximize efficiency.

31. Ways of Improving Productivity.
6. Maintain Optimal Inventory
• If you have too much inventory, you need a place to store it and hope
you will use it all. If you have too little, you run the risk of a work
stoppage as you wait for more inventory. Optimizing inventory is
especially important if you are following lean manufacturing
principles such as the previously mentioned Kanban technique.
• Use software to track inventory and create automatic notifications of
shortages. You may be able to allow vendors direct access to your
inventory counts and automatically fulfill needed supplies.
• Create favored vendor relationships to gain accountability for the
quality of parts and timeliness of deliveries.
• Make predictions about the impact of particular shortages and put
processes in place to mitigate production delays.