2. Introduction
Work design is the study and
design of a work system in an
organizational context. The
economic concept of work is
associated with wages and
employment.

3. Assumptions of work design
Work system tries to improve productivity and
effectiveness
Work systems are in three states- design, betterment,
improvement
Work design considers all aspects of the work system
Work design integrates abilities and talents

4. Work study approach
• Method study
• Work measurement
• Ergonomics ( principles
of modern economy)
• Incentives
Work
study

5. Work measurement
Work measurement refers to the different
ways of finding out how long a job or part
of a job should take to complete. It is the
process of establishing the time that a
given task would take when performed by
a qualified worker working at a defined
level of performance.

6. Work measurement plan
• To analyze the labor needs of an
operation
• To develop labor standards for that
operation
• To measure and analyze deviations
from those standards
• To work for continuous improvement
in the labor standards used in
operation.
The objective
of work
measurement
plan are:

7. • To develop a methodology for
establishing and maintaining standard
accuracy
• Improving operations by conducting
engineering analysis.
• Revising standards and related system
data and
• To assist in budgeting, estimating,
production planning and performance
evaluation using labor standards
The activities
under the
work
measurement
plan are:

8. Work measurement process
The analysis phase: in this phase the job is divided into convenient
and discrete elements
The measurement phase: a specific measurement technique is used
to establish the time required by a qualified worker working at a
defined level of performance to complete each element of work.
Synthesis phase: the various elements are added together with
appropriate allowances to work out the standard time for the
complete job.

9. Work measurement techniques
Time study
Use of predetermined
standards

10. Factors affecting the choice of a
suitable measurement technique
Purpose of measurement
Availability of database
Extent of details required
Available time for measurement
Cost of measurement

11. Time study
Time study is carried out by direct observations of the work. The purpose of time study is to set normal
times and then standard times to carry out the specific work. Time study aims at establishing the time
for a qualified worker to perform a specified work under stated conditions and at a defined rate of
working.
Time study is carried out by a qualified practitioner, who observes the work, records the work being done
and then notes down the time with the help of time measuring device, usually a stop watch.
The practitioner observes no. of cycles of the task depending on the variability in the task and the level
of accuracy required. The total no. of observations are made over a range of working conditions
especially in cases where the working conditions are variable and subject to change during the day or
over a period. The observation should also cover a range of workers to neutralize the individual effect.
Once a normal time for each element of the work is determined allowances are added to arrive at the
standard time.

12. Requirements for a time study
Time study should be carried out by a qualified person
The person carrying out the time study must be fully
trained and experienced in the work.
The work must be clearly defined and the method of
doing the work should be efficient.
The working conditions should be defined

13.  There are two elements of the normal time for a
specified work. The first element is timing and the
second element is the rating.
(I) Timing: it is the actual time recorded by the
observer for doing the element of work or operation
under study. The time is recorded with the help of
stop watch or computerized study board and is
measured in centi-minutes

14. (II) The method of one worker usually differs from the
method of working of another worker. The results in
difference observed times for each worker for the same
work carried. The reason for this difference is speed,
efforts, consistency and training of the worker for the
specified task. A worker doing a task for the first time will
take more time as compared to the person who is doing it
for so long.
o The task being carried out by the worker is rated by the
observer to adjust the actual time to a standardized normal
time keeping in view the defined level of performance.

15.  The rating is on a scale with 100 as its standard rating. Thus
rating is a direct observation technique to convert the
observed time required for qualified worker working at a
defined level of performance. During the observation, a
trained observer makes an assessment of the worker’s rate
of working relative to his concept of the rate corresponding
to standard rating. Thus on the 0-100 scale, the observer
makes a judgment of the worker’s rate of working . The
rating is then used to convert the observed time to normal
time by using the following formula.
 Normal time= (observed time x observed rating)/standard
rating

16. Example
 An observer times an element of a task as 50 centi
minutes. Calculate the normal time in the following
situations:
(A) If the observer assesses that the task is performed
slowly than the standard 100 and his rating is 90
(B) If the observer assesses that the task is performed
faster than the standard 100 and his rating is 110
(C) If the observer assess that the task is performed at
standard rate

17. Allowances
 Different conditions require different time to complete
the task. So keeping this thing in mind some
allowance is provided to the worker. And the time of
allowance depends on the working conditions. The
various allowances are summarized as under:
(I) Fatigue allowance
(II) Attention to personal needs. This allowance ranges
between 4% to 7% of the total time.
(III)Delay allowance based on actual delays that occur
(IV)Contingency allowance

18. Standard time
 The time taken by a qualified worker to perform a
particular observation is reffered to as standard time.
 Standard time is represented by formula
Normal time + allowances
Or
Normal time/1- allowance factor

19. Steps in conducting a time study
(I) Define the task.
(II) Identify the various elements of the tasks precisely
(III)Decide the no. of measurements for each task
(IV)Measure and record
(V) Calculate the average element time
(VI)Calculate normal time
(VII)Calculate standard time

20. Example
 Observed cycle time 6 min, 8, 6, 7, 9, minutes
 Worker is rated to perform the task at 95%
 15% allowance factor is used
 Calculate the standard times

21. Appropriate method for work
measurement
 Predetermined motion time system
 Estimation
 Timing
 Models

22. Predetermined motion time
system
 The measurement units used in this method is in ten
thousandth(.0001) of a minute or hundred-thousandth
of an hour(.00001 hour). This method is suitable for a
very short cycle work of around one minute of total
duration such as small assembly work. The examples
of such works are assembling or disassembling nuts
and bolts, using a screw driver or doing tack welding
or spot welding on a small job.

23. Estimation
 This method is suitable for long works or project work
where some estimation of time is required for
completing the job. Estimation is divided into three
categories as discussed below:
 Analytical estimation
 Category estimation
 Comparative estimation

24. Timing
 Each timing is rated by assessing the rate at which the
worker was working. This provides the normal time for
the elements and hence for the whole job, which are
independent of the worker and could be used as the
time for a trained, experienced worker to carry out the
same elements.

25. Models
 Models are generated as mathematical formula in
which the observed data are inserted to compile a time
for completion of the task or project. It is an easy and
efficient method for recycling time standards for
elements of repetitive work over and over again.

26. Method study
 Method study is an important area in production
planning to plan various elements of production,
deciding on the type of machine to be used for a
specific task, establishing the capacity of the machine,
and planning the no. of people to be deployed to
complete the task.
 Time study measures the time taken in completing the
task whereas method study focuses on the method
adopted for completing the task in an efficient and
economic way.