Chapter 8 Supplement

Work Measurement
Operations
Operations Management
Management -- 55thth Edition
Edition
Roberta Russell & Bernard W. Taylor, III

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Beni Asllani
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Lecture Outline
Time Studies
Work Sampling

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-2

Work Measurement
Determining how long it takes to do a job
Growing importance in service sector

Services tend to be labor-intensive

Service jobs are often repetitive

Time studies

Standard time
is time required by an average worker to perform a job once
incentive piece-rate wage system based on time study

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-3

Stopwatch Time
Study Basic Steps
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Establish standard job method

Break down job into elements
Study job
Rate workers performance (RF)
Compute average time (t)

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-4

Stopwatch Time Study

Basic Steps (cont.)
6. Compute normal time
Normal Time = (Elemental average) x (rating factor)
Nt = (t )(RF)
Normal Cycle Time = NT = Nt

7. Compute standard time

Standard Time = (normal cycle time) x (1 + allowance factor)
ST = (NT)(1 + AF)
Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-5

Performing a Time Study

Time Study Observation Sheet
Identification of operation

Date

Sandwich Assembly
Operator
Smith

Approval
Jones

Observer
Russell

Cycles
1
Grasp and lay
1 out bread slices
Spread mayonnaise
2 on both slices

Summary
7

10

.04 .05 .05 .04 .06 .05 .06 .06 .07 .05

R .04

.38 .72 1.05 1.40 1.76 2.13 2.50 2.89 3.29

t .07

.06

R .11

.44 .79 1.13 1.47 1.83 2.21 2.60 2.98 3.37

t .12

.11

.07 .08 .07 .07

.14

.12

.13

.13

5/17

.08
.13

.10
.12

.09
.14

.08

RF

Nt

.53 .053 1.05 .056

.77 .077 1.00 .077

.14 1.28 .128 1.10 .141

Place ham, cheese,

and lettuce on bread

Place top on sandwich, t .10 .12 .08 .09 .11 .11 .10 .10 .12 .10 1.03 .103 1.10 .113
Slice, and stack
R .33 .67 1.01 1.34 1.71 2.07 2.44 2.82 3.24 3.61

R .23 .55

.93 1.25 1.60 1.96 2.34 2.72 3.12 3.51

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-6

Performing a Time
Study (cont.)
Average element time = t =

0.53
t
=
= 0.053
10
10

Normal time = (Elemental average)(rating factor)

Nt = ( t )(RF) = (0.053)(1.05) = 0.056
Normal Cycle Time = NT = Nt = 0.387
ST = (NT) (1 + AF) = (0.387)(1+0.15) = 0.445 min

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-7

Performing a Time
Study (cont.)
How many sandwiches can be made in 2 hours?
120 min
= 269.7 or 270 sandwiches
0.445 min/sandwich

Example 17.3
Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-8

Number of Cycles
To determine sample size:
n=

zs
eT

where
z=
number of standard deviations from the
mean in a normal distribution reflecting a level of
statistical confidence
(xi - x)2
n-1
T=
study
e=

s=
= sample standard
deviation from sample time study

average job cycle time from the sample time

degree of error from true mean of distribution

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-9

Number of Cycles: Example

Average cycle time = 0.361

Computed standard deviation = 0.03
Company wants to be 95% confident that computed
time is within 5% of true average time

n=

zs
eT

(1.96)(0.03)
=
= 10.61 or 11
(0.05)(0.361)

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-10

Elemental Times Files

Elemental standard time
files

predetermined job
element times

Predetermined motion
times (for micro-motions)
Time measurement units

TMUs = 0.0006 minute

100,000 TMU = 1 hour

Advantages

Disadvantages

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

worker cooperation
unnecessary
workplace uninterrupted
performance ratings
unnecessary
consistent.
ignores job context
may not reflect skills and
abilities of local workers

Supplement 8-11

MTM Table for MOVE

TIME (TMU) WEIGHT ALLOWANCE
DISTANCE
Hand in Weight
MOVED
motion
(lb)
(INCHES)
A
B
C
B
up to:
3/4 or less
2.0
2.0
2.0
1 2.5
2.9
3.4
2.3
2.5
1.00
2 3.6
4.6
5.2
2.9
3 4.9
5.7
6.7
3.6
7.5
1.06
4 6.1
6.9
8.0
4.3

20 19.2
18.2
22.1
15.6
37.5
1.39

Dynamic
factor

Static
constant
TMU

0
2.2
12.5

A. Move object to other hand or against stop

B. Move object to approximate or indefinite location
C. Move object to exact location
Source: MTM Association for Standards and Research.

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-12

Work Sampling
Determines the proportion of time a worker
spends on activities
Primary uses of work sampling are to
determine

ratio delay

percentage of time a worker or machine is delayed or

idle

analyze jobs that have non-repetitive tasks

Cheaper and easier approach to work

measurement
Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-13

Steps of Work Sampling

1.
2.

Define job activities

Determine number of observations in work sample
n=

where

z
e

p(1 - p)

n=
sample size (number of sample
observations)
z=
number of standard deviations from mean
for desired level of confidence
e=
degree of allowable error in sample
estimate
p=
proportion of time spent on a work activity
Copyright 2006
John Wileyprior
& Sons,to
Inc.calculating work sample
Supplement 8-14
estimated

Steps of Work Sampling

(cont.)
3. Determine length of sampling
period
4. Conduct work sampling study,
record observations
5. Periodically re-compute number
of observations

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-15

Work Sampling: Example

What percent of time is spent looking up
information? Current estimate is p = 30%
Estimate within +/- 2%, with 95% confidence
n=

z
e

1.96
p(1 - p) =
(0.3)(0.7) = 2016.84 or 2017
0.02

After 280 observations, p = 38%

n=

z
e

1.96
p(1 - p) =
(0.38)(0.62) = 2263
0.02

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Supplement 8-16

Copyright 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Supplement 8-17