Practice Problems: Chapter 10, Human Resources, Job Design, and Work

Measurement
Problem 1:
Develop a Process Chart for making a grilled cheese sandwich.
Problem 2:
Develop an Activity Chart for doing three loads of laundry.
Problem 3:
Develop a Process Chart for changing the oil in an automobile.
Problem 4:
Develop an Activity Chart for writing a term paper.
Problem 5:
Carolyn Barrett, a marketing surveyor, takes an average of 10 minutes to complete a
particular questionnaire. Carolyns performance rating (pace) is 110% and there is an
allowance of 15%.
What is the Normal time for completing this questionnaire?
What is the Standard time for completing this questionnaire?
Problem 6:
Tom Leonard, of Leonard, Spitz, and Wareham, takes 3 hours and 25 minutes to write an
end of month report. Tom is rated at 95% (work pace is 95%) and the office has a
personal time allowance of 8%. There is no delay time or fatigue time.
What is the Normal time for writing an end of month report?
What is the Standard time for writing an end of month report?

Problem 7:
The two steps in preparing chocolate candy bars are molding and packaging. Personal
fatigue and delay allowances are set at 15%. The molding machine operator is rated at
110% and the packer is rated at 80%. Observed times per batch are given below.

Observed Time in Minutes

Task

Molding

26

30

29

31

Packing

45

50

35

30

Determine the Normal and standard times for both tasks.

Problem 8:
A work-study sample of a manufacturing activity conducted over a 40-hour period shows
that a worker with an 85% rating produced 12 parts. The workers idle time was 10% and
the allowance factor was 12%
Find the Normal and Standard time for this activity.
Problem 9:
Jim and Bob recently time-studied a janitorial task. From a sample of 75 observations,
they computed an average cycle time of 15 minutes with a standard deviation of 2
minutes. Was their sample large enough that one can be 99% confident that the standard
time is within 5% of the true value?
Problem 10:
Consider the following task broken down into 5 MTM elements:

TMUs

Code in MTM Books

Reach to tool box

14.2

R12D

Grasp a tool

3.5

BG1

10.6

AP2

Turn tool

3.5

T45S

Move and focus eyes

13.4

M12B

Separate
pressing

tool

by

What is the total time for the task?

ANSWERS
Problem 1:
One possible solution. The level of detail in process charts depends upon the
requirements of the job. Time is often included to aid analysis of value added.
Process Chart
Distance Symbol Process Description

10

Move to cabinet

Get loaf of bread

Move to counter

Open loaf of bread

Remove two slices of bread

Lay slices on counter-top

Close loaf of bread

Move to cabinet
Replace loaf of bread on
shelf

10

Move to refrigerator
Get mustard, package of ham
from refrigerator,
and butter

10

Move to counter

Open package of ham

Remove two slices of ham

Close package of ham

Open mustard

Spread mustard on bread

Close mustard

Place ham on bread

Close sandwich

Open butter

Spread butter on top slice of

bread

Move to stove

Get fry pan

Turn heat on under fry pan

Wait for pan to heat

Move to counter

Get sandwich & butter

Move to stove

Place sandwich, butteredside down in pan

Butter top slice

Close butter

Move to counter

Pick up ham, mustard, and

butter

10

Move to refrigerator

Return butter, mustard, and

ham to refrigerator

Move to stove

Wait for sandwich to brown

on bottom

Inspect

Flip sandwich

Wait for sandwich to brown

on bottom

Inspect sandwich

10

Move to serving area

Serve sandwich

Problem 2:
Time

Operator

Load

Machine
1

Machine
2

Washer

Dryer

Being
c
l
o
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h
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s
a
n
d

Idle
l
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M
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1
Idle

Run

Idle

Remove

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M
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1
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o

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M
a
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2

Load

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M
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1
Idle

Run

Run

Remove

Idle

Being

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M
a
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2
Hang

Idle

Idle

c
l
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t
h
e
s

Problem 3:
One solution might be:
Process Chart for
Changing Oil in Car
Distance Symbol
-

Check that needed filter is in

stock

10

Check that oil is in stock

30

Move to car
Get into car

Start engine

Idle car to warm engine

Drive car onto lift

Stop engine
Release hood catch

Get out of car

10

Go to lift control
Raise lift

10

Go to toolbox
Get wrench
Get container for drained oil
Get rag

10

Walk under lift

Wipe around oil drain plug

Loosen oil drain plug

Position container

11

Remove oil drain plug

Drain oil

Wipe around oil drain plug

Replace oil drain plug

Tighten oil drain plug

20

Remove container to
disposal area

15

Move to lift control

Lower lift
Wipe oil from wrench

Move to toolbox
Return wrench to tool chest
Get oil filter wrench from
tool chest
Get container for drained oil

10

Move to car engine area

Raise hood
Find oil filter

Loosen oil filter

Position container
Remove oil filter

12

20

Take old filter and container

of drained oil to
disposal area

25

Move to filter stock area

Get new filter

25

Move to car engine area

Wipe around filter mount oil

seal

Install new filter

Tighten new filter

Remove oil filler cap

40

Move to oil stock

Get oil from stock
Move to car engine
compartment
Open oil container; pour in
oil filler
Replace oil filler cap
Clean hands
Start engine
Idle engine
Stop engine
Check oil level

13

Check oil filter seal

Check oil drain plug
Wipe up any spilled oil
Take empty oil containers to
disposal area
Wipe oil from oil filter
wrench
25

Return oil filter wrench to

tool chest
Start engine
Drive car off lift
Park car for owner pickup
Return keys

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Problem 4:

Activity Chart for Writing Term Paper

Time

Operator

Computer
1

Computer
2

Desktop

Library

Develop topic Used for

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Develop

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Research

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Flesh out

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Final edit

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Does this Activity Chart contain enough detail that you could estimate the time it would
take to write the term paper?
Problem 5:

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Normal time (total time)(%working on this task)(rating)/(number of units produced)

(10)(1.00)(1.10)/1 11 minutes
Standard time

Total Normal time

11
11

12.9 minutes
1-Allowance factor 1 0.15 .85

Problem 6:

Normal time (total time)(%working on this task)(rating)/(number of units produced)

(205 minutes)(1.00)(0.95)/1 194.75 minutes
Standard time

Total Normal time 194.75 194.75

211.68 minutes
1-Allowance factor 1 0.08
.92

Problem 7:

Observed Times in Minutes

Task

Molding

26

30

29

31

Packing

45

50

35

30

For Molding:

Average for the actual Molding cycle 29 minutes per batch

Normal time (total time)(% working)(rating)/(number of units produced)
(29)(1.00)(1.10) /1 31.9 minutes per batch
Standard time (Normal time)/(1-Allowance)
31.90 /(1 0.15) 37.5 minutes per batch

For Packing:
Average actual Packing time = 40 minutes

Normal time (total time)(%working)(rating)/(number of units produced)

(40)(1.00)(.80) 32 minutes per batch

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Standard time (Normal time)/(1-Allowance)

(32)/(1 0.15) 37.6 minutes
Problem 8:
Average actual time = 40 hours

Normal time (total time)(%working)(rating)/(number of units produced)

(40hrs)(0.90)(0.85)/(12) 2.55 hours per part
Standard time (Normal time)/(1-Allowance)
2.55 / 0.88 2.90 hours per part
Problem 9:
To find the number of samples required:

z
where h is the accuracy desired and z is the confidence level
h x

2.575* 2 5.15

.75
0.05*15

47.15 or 48 samples

Therefore, the sample size of 75 is sufficient.

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Problem 10:

TMUs
Reach to tool box

Code in MTM Books

14.2

R12D

3.5

BG1

10.6

AP2

3.5

T45S

Move and focus eyes

13.4

M12B

TOTAL

45.2

Grasp a tool
Separate tool by pressing
Turn tool

Remember: 1 TMU = .0006 minutes.

Translating to minutes: 45.2 TMUs * .0006 = .027 minutes
Translating to seconds: .027 minutes * 60 = 1.627 seconds

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