1. Define Method Study.
“Method study is the systematic recording and critical examination of existing and proposed ways of doing work as a means of developing and applying easier and more effective methods and reducing cost.”
2. What are the objectives of method study techniques? The objective of method study techniques are:
(i) To present and analyze true facts concerning the situation. (ii) To examine those facts critically.
(iii) To develop the best answer possible under given circumstances based on critical examination of facts.
3. What are the steps involved in method study?
Steps in Method Study
SELECT The job to be analyzed.
RECORD All relevant facts about present method. EXAMINE The recorded facts critically.
DEVELOP The most efficient, practical and economic method.
DEFINE The new method.
INSTALL The method as a standard practice.
MAINTAIN That standard practice.
4. What are the categories of recording techniques? Recording Techniques
According to the nature of the job being studied and the purpose for which the record is required the techniques fall into following categories:
3. Templates and models.
5. What is operation process chart?
An operation process chart is also called as outline process chart. An operation process chart gives the bird’s – eye view of the whole process by recording only the major activities and inspections involved in the process. Operation process chart uses only two symbols, i.e., operation and inspection.
6. What is flow process chart?
Flow process chart gives the sequence of flow of work of a product, or any part of it through the work centre or the department recording the events using appropriate symbols. It is the amplification of the operation process chart in which operations, inspection, storage, delay and transportation are represented.
7. What are the three types of flow process chart?
Flow process charts are of three types:
Material type – which shows the events that occur to the materials. Man type – Activities performed by the man.
Equipment type – How equipment is used.
8. What is two handed process chart?
A two handed process chart (operator process chart) is the most detailed type of flow chart in which the activities of the workers hands are recorded in relation to one another. The two handed process chart is normally confined to work carried out at a single work piece. This also gives synchronized and graphical representation of the sequence of manual activities of the worker.
9. What are the applications of two handed process chart?
The application of this charts are:
To visualize the complete sequence of activities in a repetitive task. To study the work station layout.
10. What is multiple activity chart? Multiple Activity Chart
It is chart where activities of more than subject (worker or equipment) are each recorded on a common time scale to show their inter- relationship.
11. What are the applications of multiple activity charts?
Multiple activity charts is made to
Study idle time of the man and machines
Determine number of machines handled by one operator
Determine number of operators required in team work to perform the given job.
12. What is flow diagram?
Flow diagram is a drawing, substantially to scale, of the working area, showing the location of the various activities identified by their numbered symbols and are associated with particular flow process chart either man type or material type.
13. What is string diagram?
The string diagram is a scale layout drawing on which length of a string is used to record the extent as well as the pattern of movement of a worker working within a limited area during a certain period of time. It is especially valuable where the journeys are so irregular in distance and frequency to seen exactly what is happening.
14. What is micro motion study?
Micro-motion study provides a technique for recording and timing an activity. Micro – motion study is a set of techniques intended to divide the human activities in a groups of movement or Micro – motions ( called as therbligs) and the study of such movements helps to find for an operator one best pattern of movement that consumes less time and requires less effort to accomplish the task.
15. What are the steps involved in micro motion study?
Micro – motion study involves the following steps: 1. Filming the operation to be studied.
2. Analysis of the data from the films. 3. Making recording of the data.
16. What is Simo chart?
Simultaneous motion cycle chart (SIMO chart) is a recording technique for micro- motion study. A simo chart is a chart, based on the film analysis, used to record simultaneously on a common time scale the therbligs or a group of therbligs performed by different parts of the body of one or more operations.
17. What is memo motion study? MEMO MOTION STUDY
Memo motion photography is a form of time – lapse photography which records activity by the use of cine camera adapted to take picture at longer intervals than normal ( time interval normally lies between ½ sec to 4 sec).
18. What is cycle graph?
A cycle graph is a record of path of movement usually traced by a continuous source of light on a photograph. A small electric bulb is attached to hand, finger or other part of the body of the operator performing the operation. A photograph is taken by still camera and the light source shows the path of the motion and the path of the photograph is called “cycle graph”.
19. What is Chronocycle graph?
The chronocycle graph is a special form of cycle graph in which the light source is suitably interrupted so that the path appears as a series of pear- shaped dots, the pointed end indicating the direction of movement and the spacing indicating the speed of movement.
20. What are the principles to be followed during critical examination?
The principles to be followed during critical examination are:
1. Facts should be examined as they are, not as they appear to be or they should be 2. Pre- conceived ideas, which often colour the interpretation of facts, should be avoided. 3. Hasty judgments should be avoided.
4. All aspects of the problem must be approached with a challenging and sceptical attitude 5. Every detail must be examined logically and no answer should be accepted until it has been
proved correct.
21. How the principles of motion economy are grouped?
The principles are grouped into three headings: (a) Use of the human body
(b) Arrangement of workplace (c) Design of tools and equipment
22. What is work measurement?
Work measurement is also called by the name “Time study”. Time study has been defined by British standard Institution as “The application of techniques designed to establish the time
for a qualified worker to carry out a specified job at a defined level of performance.” 23. What are the objectives of work measurement?
The objectives of work measurement are to provide a sound basis for: 1. Comparing alternative methods
2. Assessing the correct initial manning (manpower requirement planning). 3. Planning and control.
4. Realistic costing
5. Financial incentive schemes. 6. Delivery date of goods
7. Cost reduction and cost control 8. Identifying substandard workers 9. Training new employees
24. What are the techniques used in work measurement? Various techniques of work measurement are:
1. Time study (stop watch techniques). 2. Synthesis,
3. Work sampling 4. Analytical estimating
5. Predetermined motion and time study.
25. Define Time Study.
Time Study: A work measurement technique for recording the times rates of working for the
elements of a specified job carried out under specified conditions and for analyzing the data so as to determine the time necessary for carrying out the job at the defined level of performance.
26. Define synthetic Data.
Synthetic Data: A work measurement technique for building up the time for a job or parts of the
job data defined level of performance by totaling element times obtained previously form time studies on other jobs containing the elements concerned or form synthetic data.
27. Define work sampling.
Work sampling: A technique in which a large number of observations are made over a period of
time of one or group of machines, processes or workers. Each observation records what is happening at that instant and the percentage of observations recorded for a particular activity, or delay, is a measure of the percentage of time during which that activities delay occurs.
28. Define pre determined motion time study.
Pre determined motion time study (PMTS): A work measurement technique whereby times
conditions under which it is made) are used to build up the time for a job at the defined level of performance. The most commonly used PMTS is known as Methods Time Measurement (MTM).
29. Define analytical estimating. Analytical estimating:
A work measurement technique, being a development of estimating, whereby the time required to carry out elements of a job at a defined level of performance is estimated partly form knowledge and practical experience of the elements concerned and partly form synthetic data.
30. What are the general guidelines for selecting the job for time study? The general guidelines for selecting the job for time study:
(a) Bottle – neck operations (b) Repetitive jobs
(c) Jobs using a greater deal of manual labour (d) Jobs with longer cycle time
(e) Sections / department frequently working over time.
31. What is an element?
Element: An element is a distinct part of a specified job selected for convenience of observation,
measurement and analysis.
32. What is a work cycle?
Work cycle: A work cycle is a complete sequence of elements necessary to perform a specified
activity or job to yield one unit of production. It may also include the elements which do not occur with every cycle.
Basic time study equipment required to make the time study are: (1) Time study board, (2) Stop watch, and (3) Time study forms.
34. What is a qualified worker?
A qualified worker is one who is accepted as having the necessary physical attributes, who possesses the required intelligence and education, and who has acquired necessarily skill and knowledge to carry out the work in hand to satisfactory standards of safety quantity and quality.
35. What is performance rating?
Performance rating is the process of adjusting the actual pace of working of an operator by comparing it with the mental picture of space of an operator working at normal speed.
36. What is Relaxation Allowance?
Relaxation allowances are calculated so as to allow the worker to recover from fatigue. Relaxation allowance is a addition to the basic time intended to provide the worker with the opportunity to recover from the physiological and psychological effects of carrying our specified work under specified conditions and to allow attention to personal needs.
37. What is variable Allowance?
Variable allowance is allowed to an operator who is working under poor environmental conditions that cannot be improved, added stress and strain in performing the job.
38. What is contingency Allowance?
A contingency allowance is a small allowance of time which may be included in a standard time to meet legitimate and expected items of work or delays, the precise measurement of which is uneconomical because of their in frequent or irregular occurrence.
39. What is policy Allowance?
“A policy allowance is an increment, other than bonus increment applied to a standard time (or to some constituent part of it, e.g., work content) to provide a satisfactory level of earnings for a specified level of performance under exceptional circumstances. Policy allowance are sometimes made as imperfect functioning of a division or part of a plant.”
40. What is standard time?
Standard time is the time allowed to an operator to carry out the specified task under specified conditions and defined level of performance.
41. What is work sampling?
Work sampling is defined as:
“A technique in which a statistically competent number of instantaneous observations are taken, over a period of time, of a group of machines, processes or workers. Each observations recorded for a particular activity or delay is a measure of the percentage of time observed by the occurrence.”
42. What are the advantages of work sampling over time study? Advantages of Work Sampling Compared to Time Study
1. Many operations or activities which are impractical or costly to measure by time study can be measured by work sampling.
2. A simultaneous work sampling study of several operators or machines may be made by a single observer.
3. It usually requires lesser man- hours and costs less to make a work sampling study instead of making a continuous time study.
4. Observations may be taken over a period of days or weeks thus reducing the chances of day-to-day variations affecting results.
43. What are the disadvantages of work sampling? Disadvantages of Work Sampling
1. Work sampling is uneconomical for short cycle jobs.
2. It is also uneconomical for studying a single workman or even small group of workmen or machines.
3. Time study permits a finer breakdown of activities and delays than is possible with work sampling study.
4. Workman may change their normal pattern of working on seeing the observer, making the sampling study of very little value.
44. What is MTM?
Methods Time Measurement procedure is defined as:
“A procedure which analysis any manual operation or method into the basic motions required to perform it and assigns to each motion a predetermined time standard which is determined by the nature of the motion and the conditions under which it was made”.
45. What are the advantages of PMTS? Advantages of PMTS
1. Short cycle jobs can be timed accurately.
2. Rating, the most difficult part of time study is not necessary. 3. The results obtained are consistent.
4. A reasonable estimate of work content can be obtained before the task is actually carried out.
46. Mention the Steps involved in synthetic data.
The steps involved in synthetic data:
1. Collect all the details about the job (dimensions, tools, methods, conditions).
2. Analyze jobs into constituent elements (activity grouping to enable synthetic element to be applied if relevant).
3. Select appropriate basic times from synthetic data covering contingent factors. 4. Select and apply synthetic data covering contingent factors.
5. Verify details of elemental analysis for job method and condition.
6. Total the basic times, rating and allowances to compute standard time for the job.
47. Mention Advantages of synthesis.
The main advantage of synthesis is the reduced cost of application. By means of synthesis it is possible to establish times, which are equally satisfactory for planning and production control purposes.
48. What are the Factors to be considered, while using PMTS. Factors to be considered while using PMTS.
Application of PMTS requires that an operation which is to be measured is divided into basic motions as per the system selected. Each system has its own specific rules and procedures which must be followed exactly.
Most PMTS do not include allowances, so these are added as in stop watch study.
At the time of application of PMTS for the first time in a company the adjustment should be made if necessary, in order to match company’s performance level which is one time activity PMTS can be classified as to accuracy level, time required for application and the extent of method description.
49. Define predetermined time.
Predetermined times are the tabulated values of normal time required to perform individual movements such as moving an arm from one position to another, etc.
50. Define Method time measurements.
“A procedure which analyses any manual operation or method into the basic motions required to perform it and assigns to each motion a predetermined time standard which is determined by the nature of the motion and the conditions under which it is made”.
51. State some uses of MTM. Uses of MTM
1. Developing effective methods and plans in advance of beginning production. 2. Improving existing methods.]
3. Establishing time standards. 4. cost estimating
5. Training supervisors to become method conscious.