Work study

• It is a generic term used for those techniques

which are used in the examination of human
work in all its context
• It is done in an industry with the aim of
increasing the efficiency and the economy of
production and also to assist planning.
• The two widely followed ways of work study
are Method Study and Work Measurement.
The main aim of work study is

• Reducing TIME

• Reducing COST
 Who does work study?
In an apparel industry the responsibility of work
study usually belongs to the Industrial
Engineer. Different firms may have different
terminologies but the person performing this
must be aware of
• Scientific principles involved in the production
• Statistical tools and techniques.
• Management tools and techniques that can be
implemented in a production unit.
 The steps involved in work study
• Analysis of the situation(measurement)
• Studying the methods and standardizing them
• Identifying processes and methods that need
to be improved
• Designing new methods to make work easier
• Implementing the new designs and following
up on the feasibility and improvements
 What follows?
After the work study one should look for the
scope of improvement in the three factors
influencing production
• Men (motion economics)
• Material (handling)
• Machinery(improved tools and equipment
that make work faster and economic)
 Time study
• This is one of the most important objective study
made by the IE.
• It involves measuring and recording the total time
taken for a particular operation by a particular
operator.
• When this is available for all operators and all
operations, we can measure the Standard Minute
Value(SMV) for a garment and analyze the
operator efficiency.
• It also helps in setting targets.
 Method study
• This involves the study of the operations with
respect to motion economics and ergonomics
• Most of the time it is a subjective study of the
operations and the scope for improvement.
• After the study, the IE should come up with
the best way of performing an operation and
standardize it.
 Efficiency charts
• It is statistical tool that helps analyze the
results of time study with respect to individual
operators
• Form the efficiency charts we can set up
targets and also make personnel decisions
while setting up a line.
 Work station layout
The layout of the workstation is very important
because a good layout prevents the waste of
time and energy thereby increasing
productivity.
The workstation layout should be such that the
flow of materials is smooth and should avoid
unwanted material movement and bottle
necks.
 Simply put…
Work study is analyzing the present situation
and making changes which will improve
productivity(and thus profits) without
affecting the quality of production.
It is important to remember that any situation
has some scope for IMPROVEMENT.
Than you