What is the Study of times and movements?

A very frequent question that companies have is how to increase productivity and, one of the The main ways to obtain this increase is through the study of time movements.. We will be explaining what this study is about and how this can affect (and a lot) the productivity of your company.

The study of time movements has been based on two studies. The one of times, elaborated by Taylor, along with the one of movements, elaborated by the Gilbreth couple. The purpose of studying motions and times was discover better, simpler and faster methods of accomplishing a task.

But how can the study of movements and times have a positive impact on a factory, organization or company? Through constant improvement of processes and methods, in addition to standardization and better use of available resources.

Through history

When were first introduced in the 19th and early 20th centuries, time and motion studies established motion rules that ensured optimal performance for a specified period of time and reduced the amount of movements required to perform the job.

Over the years, time and motion studies have been conducted in many industries, both to determine how long a particular job takes to improve it by setting production targets and reducing unnecessary steps in a process.

Today, time and motion studies focus entirely on the time aspect of work, or how long it takes to perform a job, and are critical to obtaining critical information about how a process is working.

A time study can establish a baseline from which to drive improvement efforts or establish a standard for monitoring performance. Without basic time study measures, it is impossible to know if work has improved or if there are differences in the performance of a unit.

Approaches to consider

There are four approaches to consider when developing potential solutions. Since, of these, the preferred method will be selected.

1.- Study work as a process

When professionals conduct a time study, it is essential that they know what they want to study. Work is not strictly a set of disconnected tasks, it is a process. These processes have names, such as maintenance or transfers, and they begin with inputs, move on to processes in which inputs are modified, and end with outputs.

While you are involved in these input, process, output chains, other things can meddling: mulling things over, asking a question, taking a phone call, going to have lunch, etc.

Also, people have different work styles: some are fast and diligent; others take their time. There are many opportunities for variation in performing a task.

The result: time measurements are not precise, but estimates of how long a task takes. Over time, or by measuring the work of several people, it is possible to come to a general understanding of how long the work takes, which is good enough to start.

2.- Eliminate all unnecessary work

Most of the tasks we do are rarely really necessary. In many cases, the job or process should not be subject to simplification or improvement, but should be eliminated entirely.

3.- Plan ahead to save costs

Since time studies are costly both in terms of lost work time and taking advantage of employee trust and commitment, care must be taken when planning them. Follow eight easy steps to think about a timing study to avoid potential bumps.

4. Combine features or elements

Despite the current practice of dividing a process into several simple operations, in some cases, the division of labor is excessive. We often subdivide a process into a large number of operations. This ends up causing excessive handling of materials, tools and equipment.

This excessive division can cause: difficulties in balancing the different operations, accumulation of work between operations caused by inefficient planning and waiting when inefficient workers are employed, or some operators They are absent. In this way, it is sometimes possible to simplify the work by combining two or more operations or changes in the method, which allows the association of operations.

5.- Modify the sequence of operations

There are several operations where a simple change in the order in which they are performed can have a significant impact on task productivity. Therefore, by modifying these sequences in order to facilitate the movements and micro movements made by the worker, the time to perform the operation and optimize the process as a whole is one of the main ways to increase the productivity.

Simplify essential operations First, you need to study the general and make the most obvious changes. Subsequently, the details of the work are analyzed. At this stage, it is important to discuss points such as: what is being done; used materials; Tools and equipment; working conditions, among others.

With the analysis of these points, it is determined which operations can be simplified, seeking to be as intuitive and easy to perform as possible. This allows an increase in worker productivity.

Steps for the study of time movements

According to Barnes (1997), the seven steps for the study of times and movements They are:

1. Obtain and record information about the operation and the operator under study.
2. Divide the operation into elements.
3. Observe and record the time spent by the operator.
4. Determine the number of cycles to be timed.
5. Evaluate the pace of the operator.
6. Determine tolerances.
7. Determine the standard hours for the operation.

In this sense, it can be said that the standard time is the useful time that the employee spends to carry out his work efficiently and productively. Thus, a company with the objective of adequately increasing its productive capacity must take into account all its sectors.

It is also necessary reduce standard time in sectors or operations rated as slower.

For this, it is extremely important to calculate and identify bottlenecks, providing many benefits to your company, such as:

1. Easier determination of production targets.
2. Optimize your work processes.
3. Facilitate predefined labor cost, which is essential for good financial planning.
4. Faster and more standardized production.