PRESENTATION ON

WORK STUDY
CHARANPREET SINGH
00413204918
EEE(3RD YEAR)
IM ASSIGNMENT
 INTRODUCTION TO WORK STUDY
Suppose there is a tough question and an easy question in your
examination out of which you have to answer one. Which one do you
prefer to answer? Obvious answer is the latter one. Why? Well, the
answer could be the ease of answering or reduced risk or any other
advantage, which you sought.Of course, this nature and tendency of
human beings such as 'getting a work done easily or fast or get more
profit or benefit by putting less efforts' is not new.

Exactly, this tendency has necessitated the man to find new ways or
discoveries or inventions, which led him to get the present day's
comforts and ease. The way that he got is only by studying the methods
and exploring the ways to improve the result in ease or economy or fast.
Work study is nothing different from this way of thinking to get a better
way of working.
 OBJECTIVES
★ understand what is work study,
★ know the history of work study,
★ think and explore the ways to make your job
easy or have time be productive,
★ differentiate the production and productivity,
and
★ explain how to improve productivity through
work study.
 HISTORY OF WORK STUDY
The origin of work study is as old as the existence of the human
beings. Perhaps the basic objective of the human beings is to get the
work done in better or easier way and this is the core concept of
work study.

As early as 18th century the Industrial Revolution had started

particularly in British Cotton Textile Industry. Many machines had
been invented and improved.
Sir Richard Arkwright (1732-1792) was one of the most outstanding
Engineers during this period, who displayed excellent managerial
qualities and probably the first man to realize the value of training
the workmen so that they eliminate the wastage of time and
maintain systematic work habits.
 HISTORY OF WORK STUDY
J. R. Perronet, a Frenchman in 1760 made some efforts in systematic overall time study
on manufacturing of pins and arrived at a standard production rate. His contemporary,
Matthew Boulten , who started a factory at Soho in 1762, had encouraged mechanical
inventions, which were superior in multitude variety and simplicity. Most important of
all, he had highly trained and skilled craftsmen who were more accurate than others in
hardware trade of English midlands at that time. Within the span of 4 years (between
1963-1967) his turnover increased to $30.000 from $3,000.

A Britisher, who contributed in this field, was Robert Owen (1771-1858), who may be
conceded as a precursor of method study and the first man who thought about the rest
allowances for compensating fatigue jobs, considering the human element of labour.

Charles Babbage (1792-1891), who devoted most of his time in developing a calculating
machine, was not an engineer or practical industrialist but was in the forefront of the
movement of scientific inquiry.
 F. W. Taylor - Scientific Management
Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915) is considered as the father of Modern Industrial
Engineering and he did much pioneering Work in the field of work study. His effort and
ideas in 'Scientific Management and work Measurement' in Industrial Engineering came
into existence in USA in 188 1. He concentrated his activities in the area of maximum
production in minimum time and developed a formula. It has three elements :
(a) A definite task : The best and correct sequence of operation.
(b) A definite time : By stopwatch or from standard data
(c) A definite method : Developed by a detailed experimentation.

Taylor developed and proved the technique of management called as the task system. He
tried to eliminate the brutalisation of men, started in Industrial Revolution. Due to
scientific management and technical advances a new impersonal relation came about
between employers and workmen.

Taylor observed cause of conflicts is that management, without knowing what is proper
day's work, tried to secure maximum output by pressure. He made a clear conclusion that
management would gain by elimination of waste of workers' time and machine time,
more than that by pressurizing them.
 Gilbreth's Contribution
Taylor's primary objective was determining the time required for a job and had paid a
little attention to the possibility of improving the method. Gilbreth was originally a bricklayer.
He applied the principles of scientific analysis and had shown a tremendous and immediate
increase in the output per man-hour. His three years analysis and study of art of brick laying
enabled him to reduce the number of motion by workmen in laying brick from 18 per brick to 5
per brick. As a result of this, the most rapid union rate of brick laying (120 bricks/man/hour)
had increased nearly three folds (360 bricks/man/hour) on an average.

The spectacular result secured by combination of time study, motion study and wage
incentive plans tempted the industrialists during the early decades of 20th century.
During the period of 'First World War', when the demand for increased production
reached the peaks, the principles of work study were applied extensively. However,
during the period between the two world wars, a sound work study was installed by
qualified persons who demonstrated the advantages of work study.

Gilbreth presented a refinement in these original motion study techniques in the form of
motion pictures in 1912. Their techniques eventually developed and are now known as a
cyclographic and chrono cyclographic analysis,
 SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES OF WORK STUDY
Though the work study is originally developed for improving the productivity and
efficiency of the production, the technique is applicable widely. Industrialists and
educationalists have recognised its significance and have been applying in every field
even in transport offices, sales and distribution and many more service organisations.
Work study finds a place in every field for improvement of the method. Further it is
useful to any field and at any point of time anywhere for exhibiting the excellence.

Basic objectives of the work study are :

(a) Improvement in working process.
(b) Standardisation of procedures.
(c) Effective utilisation of resources like men, materials, machine, money and
time.
(d) Efficient and fast material handling.
(e) Decision on fair day wage.
(f) Enabling a good decision making on manpower requirements, etc.
(g) Better work culture, working environment by ergonomic studies.
(h) To provide an effective control of system.
(i) To make the method of doing operation easy.
( j) To economise the movements i.e. motion economy.
(k) To increase the productivity by eliminating the unnecessary work elements.
(1) To make an effective layout of workplace so as to reduce the number of
movements.
 OVERVIEW OF WORK STUDY
Work study is the investigation, by means of consistent system to attain the best
possible use of available men, machine, materials, money and time. Total concept of
the work study is concentrated upon the answers of following two questions.
(a) How should a job be done? How a job should be done?
(b) How much time a job should take for completion?

The answer for the first question is method study while the answer of the second
question is time study and work measurement. In fact method study and the time
study are not to be treated as two different parts of the work study and are very much
inter-linked.
Time study with its extension is known as work measurement whereas method study is
subdivided into two groups as motion study and micro motion study. The motion study
has extended to the motion economics while micro motion study has led a way to
ergonomics.
 TIME STUDY
Time study is the brain child of F. W. Taylor, whose philosophy was mainly concentrated to
develop a scientific method to any human problem. This is attained by selecting a worker for
each particular task and then training him soundly, essentially by developing cooperation
between workers and the management. Taylor's approach was further developed by his
students Barth and Merrick and is summarised as follows :
(a) Split up a work into small activities called elemental movements or simply
elements.
(b) Eliminate all unnecessary elements.
(c) Assign time to each elemental motion accurately with the help of stop watch
or standards.
(d) Classify and describe each elemental motion and its time carefully for
future reference.
(e) Add an allowance to actual time to cover the time delays due to known or
forecasted or unforeseen reasons.
(f) Standardise the tools and working conditions with more emphasis laid on
method improvement.

Time study is a work measurement technique for recording the times and rate of
working for the elements of a specified job carried out under specified conditions
and for analysing the data so as to obtain defined level of the performance.
 METHOD ,MOTION AND MICRO STUDY

METHOD STUDY :Method study is a systematic and scientific evaluation of existing and
proposed plans and performance of a work and evaluation of improvement through analytical
process of critical examination. This is a broad investigation for improvement of total
department, layout of machines, equipment, flow of materials and movement of men.

MOTION STUDY : This is more detailed investigation of individual operation or operator and
layout of materials, parts or tools around a working bench or machine, use of jigs,
fixtures and consumables to perform the job effectively. The study of
environment, body postures, gestures, the noise level, the temperature, the
pressure, the humidity around the workplace are the major concerns of motion
study which are now known as 'ergonomics'.

MICRO STUDY :This is the most detailed investigation of the movements of hands, arms, limbs,
legs, head, etc. while performing the job. Motion pictures, cameras, filmed
records, etc. are a few tools used to study the micro-motions of a specified job.
 NEED FOR WORK STUDY
The work study is a wonderful tool, which can inter-link any two resources like time and
method, men and machine, man and material, etc. The industrialists and industrial
engineers have realised the effective working of work study and recognised ease in it. On
the other side, they are also identifying need for improving the productivity in the
competitive world with growing demand. To meet this demand there are only two
options - first is to increase the volume or capacity of production by enhancing their
machinery or equipment orland men orland material. The second option is to increase the
productivity and thereby its capacity by eliminating waste. The former method is costly
and cumbersome and involves decision making at many stages. Particularly it is mostly
advisable to capital intensive industries. While the latter one is applicable to all the
sectors and to all the situations as it is easy and less expensive.

Hence, the managers prefer to conduct the work study on their jobs. Since globalisation
is demanding the standardisation and liberalisation in extending the competitive spirit,
the present world has understood the need for work study on every elemental movement
of operation of their work or task.
 ADVANTAGES OF WORK STUDY
Work study has numerous advantages. The merits which have gained the prominence are
listed below.

Cost Reduction :
The study results in lowering of cost of manufacturing as it eliminates unnecessary
movements in work or job or motions.

Productivity Improvement
It enhances the efficiency of the production and hence increases the productivity.

Profitability
It raises the profitability without raising the sales price of the product. For
example, a product manufactured at Rs. 100 and sold at Rs. 120 will give a profit
of Rs. 20, which is 20%. If the same is able to be manufactured at Rs. 80 by using
work study and is sold at Rs. I00 gives a profit of Rs. 20 but it is 25%. And if it
sold at Rs. 120 imagine the profitability, which is about 50%. This is definitely
better than raising the sales price to Rs. 150 (to get a profit of 50%) and making
uncertain or risky sale ability, which takes the product away from the common
customer's reach.
Standardisation :

The work study standardised the work by which the employees get job security
and the customer finds reliability and interchangeability. The target or task
performance of the worker will be his weapon to safeguard his job while
customers get delighted by getting a standard product.

Easier Work :

The purpose of the work study is fulfilled if the job is made easier even though it
couldn't reduce the cost nor increase the production. Because the ease in doing the
job will automatically raise the productivity by reducing the fatigue in the employee.

Fair Day Wage :

As the work is timed and based on this, the target is fixed, the operator gets a "fair
day wage" as explained in Taylor's approach. This not only regulates the
employee but also provides the employer a good control over the workmen. So
also it builds up a fair relationship between the employer and employee.
 ROLE OF WORK STUDY
Productivity of a system is the function of production, all individual
subsystems and production depends on the output and input characteristics. The
increased output results in more production, but it need not be high productivity. The
increase in productivity is resulted by one of the following ways :

(a) Output is increased when input is constant.

(b) Same output or result is attained by reducing input (eliminating the waste).
(c) Output is raised while input or resources are reduced (eliminate waste).
Work study shows the way to achieve the above so as to increase the productivity
because it basically aims in :
(a) Increasing output.
(b) Doing the work faster.
(c) Easing the work and hence enabling the workman to work more.
(d) Eliminating waste elements of motions and time.
Thus the work study plays a vital role in achieving the high productivity.
 STEPS TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH WORK STUDY
(a) Understand the type of production whether it is intermittent or continuous
or project type.

(b) Understand the quality policy and other pre-set norms of the industry.
(c) Calculate partial and total productivity indices for the existing level of
production.
(d) Identify the areas where the productivity is very low.
(e) Check whether it is worthwhile to conduct work study in all angles like,
economic aspects, human aspects and technical aspects.
(f) Narrate all the facts that are available regarding the job process.
(g) Analyse the process to think whether any other method can save or ease the
movements of work.
(h) Choose the best method that reduces risk and saves the movements and/or
eases the workman to perform the job and standardise it.
(i) Split the job into small activities called elements to analyse and if any waste
elements of time can be found.
( j) Eliminate the waste elements, if any, through conduction of time study and
sufficient experimentation in all combinations.
(k) Analyse the working conditions.
(I) Improve the working conditions ergonomically.
(m) Standardise the time by defining each task, its method and their times.
(n) Re-calculate the productivity indices and compare the results.
(i) Install, lmplement and Maintain.
 SUMMARY
Work is worship. Work study is to know the method of worship. Of course, most of the
jobs are already been studied, yet, there is large scope for employing work study in the
industrial jobs in the interest of improving the productivity of the industry. Particularly
in India the importance of work study is largely ignored by many industries. Though
some industries have realised. it is still insufficient. Perhaps, the reason is that the
industrialists could not understand fully about the advantages of work study or they are
not aware of methodology that how it is to be conducted. The globalisation and
liberalisation are posing challenges to the Indian industries and even questioning their
survival in some cases. In such cases, it is a high time to recall the concept of work study
to redefine their tasks.

A broad picture about the work study is explained in this unit which is composed of
method study and time study. The time study, now a days called work measurement is
the systematic way of measuring the time required for performing a job. 'The correct and
technological sequence that reduces the number of motions and hence the cost, and also
makes the operation easier is decided by evaluation through the method study.