WORK STUDY

Work study is simply the study of

work. It is the analysis of work
dividing it into smaller parts
followed by rearrangement of these
parts to give the same
effectiveness at lesser cost. It
examines both the method and
duration of the work involved in a
process.
Nature and Object of Work-study
1. Work study/Time and motion study is
primarily concerned with discovering
the best ways of doing jobs and with
establishing stds based upon such
methods.
2. Work study is to minimize costs either
by designing work for higher
productivity or by improving
productivity in existing work through
improvements in current methods and
by reducing inefficient or waste of
time.
Objectives of Work-Study
1. To recommend and implement the desired
improvements in work methods by establishing
the most economical way of doing work.
2. Investigation and analysis of existing situation.
3. Examination of weakness if any in the prod’n
process.
4. Most effective use of the existing or proposed
plant.
5. Efficient use of human efforts.
6. Ensure proper performance of those employed
in the prod’n process.
7. Measurement of work values.
8. To initiate and maintain incentive bonus
schemes.
9. Setting stds for labor cost ctrl documentation.
10.To standardize the method, material and
equipment used in the prod’n process
Importance of work-study
1. It is a mean of raising productivity of a factor
by reorganization of the work involving little or
no capital expenditure on plant and equipment.
2. It is systematic study where no factor of prod’n
is overlooked.
3. It is most accurate method of determining the
stds of performance on which effective
planning and ctrl depends.
4. It results in savings and efficient use of
resources by increasing o/p reducing scrap.
5. Results in improved safety.
6. Reduction in training time.
7. It is a tool, which can be, applied everywhere.
Components of work study
1. Method Study
2. Work measurement.
3. Ergonomics.
4. Job evaluation: Functional/ Non
functional
Method study is the systematic
Recording, Critical analysis,
development and
implementation/installation of new
methods to perform job to reduce costs
etc. with regard to existing/proposed
jobs. It is some sort of MOTION STUDY.
Work measurement is TIME
STUDY, which determines the amt.
of time reqd. to perform a job/task
by a worker following a
particular/prescribed method.
Ergonomics is the study of
relationship b/w worker and his
working environment. It includes a
mix of working environment,
working place and human
physiological considerations.
Method Study
The function of the method analyst
is to study the way in which
something is being done with a
view to develop a procedure which
when adopted would increase the
level of performance.
 Need of Method Study
1. Bottlenecks in the system resulting in
long delivery time or unbalanced
workflow.
2. Idle plant labor shows under utilization
of resources .
3. Poor moral of workers may affect the
quality of the product. Due to this there
may be high absentism.
4. Inconsistent earnings also advocate for
the review of prod’n method.
Techniques of Methods Study
1. Selection of job to be studied:-Method
study and its implementation will cost
money. Thus the job shd. Be selected
only when there are some valid reasons
for method study. Maximum cost benefit
is the normal objective.

2. Collection, Recording and presentation

of necessary inf. eg. Record’g the
movement of equipment or material,
Record’g the work done by an operator
and movements of operators with
respect to machines and other
operations
3. Analysis of the existing method
The inf. Provided by charts and graphs
is critically examined and screened by
asking some searching questions. Like
Purpose:- What is to be done, why it is to
done, what else cud be done
Place :- Where to be done, where else cud
be done, where shd it be done etc.
These questions can help in the
development of new method by getting
the answers for above said questions.
Develop a new method
The device specially designed for
improving work method is known
as the process improvement
formula. The four steps in the
procedure are
ELIMINATE,COMBINE, SEQUENCE
(i.e. scope of changes in the
sequence of activities) and
SIMPLIFY
Charts for Method Study
 Process Charts :- It represents
diagrammatically the sequence/order of various
operations evolved in a prod’n process from
start to finish. Process charts are not drawn to
any scale and use various symbols to represent
some movements or activities.

 The symbols are joined by lines to represent

the sequence of activities. These are based on
the concept that there is alwaz some order in
which the various operations shd. Occur b/w
the input stage to finished product.
 Work Measurement
Application of techniques designed
to establish the time for a qualified
worker (physically and mentally fit
to undertake a job for which he
possesses necessary skill and
knowledge) to carry out a specified
job at a defined level of
performance is known as work
measurement
It is some sort of time study, which
attempts to determine the amt of time
required to perform a task by an
operator following a prescribed method.

Time study is a work measurement

technique for recording the times and
rates of working for the elements of a
specified job carried out under specific
conditions and for analyzing the data so
as to obtain the time necessary for
carrying out the job at a defined level of
performance
 Steps in work measurement
procedure
1. Selection:- Time study follows a previous
method study and so there is no selection
problem.

2. Obtain all necessary information:- The

conditions reqd to perform some wok shd be
recorded. This info shd be in terms of worker,
machines, material, layout, quality, standard
etc.

3. Divide the job into elements

4. Time the element:- Stopwatch is the most conventional
mean for timing the elements. Time recording needs
considerable skill, attention, alertness etc. To watch the
worker, manipulate the watch and record the time.

5. The number of the cycles to be timed:- One must record

sufficient readings to be reasonably confident of an
accurate result.

6. Rating the operator:-

7. Objective Rating:- Here emphasis is laid on speed and

difficulty experienced in performing a job. The operator
is first rated according to speed of his movement
irrespective of the nature of job. Then adjustment is
made for the type of job taking into consideration
8. Allowance
Standard times for the elements or
job are necessary to provide
allowances for compensating
fatigue, personal needs,
contingencies etc. like relaxation
allowance, tool and machinery
allowance, excessive work
allowance
Objectives of work measurement
1. Target time for each job can be estimated
scientifically. With this estimate realistic and
manpower requirements can be prepared.
2. Useful incentive schemes can be generated by
linking these with target times.
3. Variance b/w actual time and target time can
lead to apply better ctrl on the operations.
4. It can lead to proper balancing of the work
distribution.
5. Forecasts for future manpower and related
costs can be made.