Class
3: Managing The Workforce
Methods Improvement - Daily Activity,
Systematic, Empirical, Inquisitive, Improvement/Results Oriented.
Methods
Improvement Is Important In All Types
Of Manufacturing Operations But Is Especially Significant In Labor Intensive
Processes Such As:
· The
Job Shop (Norcen),
· Batch
Flow (Bank Clothiers)
· Machine
Paced Line Flow (Carrier Plant)
· Worker
Paced Line Flow (Burger King)
· Service
Shop (Ogle-Tucker Buick).
Methods
Improvement Consists Of Those Traditional Industrial Engineering Functions Such As:
Motion Study - The Formal Study Of
Work Methods And Worker Interaction
With:
· Raw
Materials
· Product
Design
· Process
Design
· Tooling
· Plant
Layout
Methods
Engineers Study Repetitive Tasks By
Using A Variety Of Techniques such as:
Process Flow Charts For Materials Or Labor:
Trace Product Movement Thru Process
Provides
Detailed Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) For Study Of Process.
Improvements Come In The Form Of:
· Adding
Worker
· Improved
Layout
· Re-Sequencing
Operation
Goal
Of This Is To Eliminate Needless
Movement Of Worker Or Materials Or
Other-Wise Simplify Operation
Worker-Machine
Or Worker-Worker Charts Study Interactions Between The Two.
· Use To Understand The Cycle Times Of Workers And Machines And Attempt To Balance Them For Efficiency As Much as possible
· Goal
Is To Minimize Idle Times Of The Two Thereby Maximizing Outputs.
Worker-Worker
Charts Are Similar To Worker-Machine But Chart
Interrelationships Of Workers. (effective in service organizations - chart
worker interfaces)
Especially Useful In Labor
Intensive Service Operations.
Data May Be Based Upon:
· Videotaping (Complex Tasks)
Videotape
Facilitates Study Of Complex Tasks In Great Detail For Memomotion/Micro-Motion
Analysis -
Memomotion
- Study of Complex/Long Duration Tasks that are not necessarily
repetitive. Filmed at slow speeds
Micromotion
- Study of Small-Scale Tasks Studied In Detail
------(Frank & Lillian Gilbreth 17 Motion Categories, ie. Therbligs)
–
1. grasp,
2. position,
3. pre-position,
4. use,
5. assemble,
6. disassemble,
7. release
8. load,
9. transport
empty,
10. transport
loaded,
11. search,
12. select,
13. hold,
14. unavoidable
delay,
15. rest,
16. plan,
17. inspect
Non-Repetitive
Tasks Are Studied As Well - Memomotion
analysis can be of use, as well as:
1-Work Activity Analysis:
Worker
Chronologically Lists :
· Tasks
· Time
Spent
· Number
Of Actions
(ie.
forms processed, memos written, other? Example: Gov't Schedule X!)
Suitable
For Clerical Or Other Jobs Having Irregular Daily Patterns Of Work Which Are
Fairly Stable In Overall Daily/Weekly Content
2-Work Sampling:
· Random
Observation Of Worker (by an observer)
· Calculation Of Time Spent Performing:
§ Specific
Tasks
§ Idle
Waiting
Work
Sampling Is Less Disruptive Than Work Activity Analysis But Observations Are
Time Consuming And Entail Much Movement Throughout The Operation
· Can
threaten worker, distracting - Post Office has used concealed observation in
bulk mail centers
· Work
Sampling is useful in nonstandard jobs - support functions as: engineers, other
professional, semi-professional.
Implementation of Work Sampling Requires:
§ Categorizing/Prioritizing
Work
§ Establish
Random Pattern Of Observation
§ Use A
Statistically Suitable Number Of
Observations Based Upon Relative Frequency of Task or Occurrence of
delay
Value Engineering and
Value Analysis)
· Product/Process
Improvement Methodology
· Goal
Is To Improve At Same Cost, Reduce Cost Or Both
Refinements May Be Made In:
· Product
Design
· Materials
Used
VE may
be used in contracts as an inducement to cut costs ie., gainsharing
Time
Study And Time Standards:
§ Pioneered
By Frederick Taylor
§ Tool =
Stopwatch Vice Camera
Five
Broad Applications:
1-Planning
And Budgeting
2-Balance
Operations
3-Improve
Performance
4-Evaluate
Workers
5-Define/Measure
Productivity
Efficiency = (Standard Hours / Actual
Hours) X 100%
Time Standards May Be Developed By 4 Methods:
1-Using Historical Data (Within Company) - NORCEN
2-Time Study By Observing Task Elements - Jos Banks
Corrected For:
· Suspected
Worker "Dogging"
· Unavoidable
Delays
3-Predetermined Motion-Time Systems - Burger King
· Task
Is Decomposed Into Discreet Motions
· Suitable
for time study relating to new, undefined jobs and worker "efficiency rating"
· From
Data Base, Times Are Assigned (How are they derived?)
· Sum Of
Motion Times = Task Time
· Tasks broken down into "basic motions" which are documented (in industrial engineering databases)
Maynard
Operation Sequence Technique (MOST) System Based Upon Three Sequences Of
Motions
Represents
An Aggregate Of Small Measurements In MTM Sequence
Moves=
General, Controlled, Tool Use
4-Standard Data Systems (Developed For Similar Industrial Tasks) – Carrier Heating Plant
· Similar
to MOST in Pre-determined Motion-Time Studies
· Task
Times Related To Pre-Existing Data Base
· Job
under study is broken down into elements either directly or closely related
to those previously done and for which
data is available
Characteristics
Of Some Systems:
Time
Study And MTM Analysis Preferred When:
· Accurate
Standards Required
· Accurate
Worker Evaluation Is Important
MOST
(Maynard Operation Sequence Technique) Is Useful For Developing Standards For Tasks
Having Considerable Worker Discretion in their performance.
Standard
Data Systems Used For Routine Work Where Much Historical Time Standards All
Ready Exists
(Exercise:
Students (Groups A and B) Describe An Everyday Event - List Tasks
Associated With Making Coffee) and Compare Results
Worker Incentives:
Individual Incentives-
Piece
Rate: Workers Paid According To How Much They Produce. Piece rate System Is Characterized By:
· Standards
For Premium Or Penalty Pay Must Be Accurate
· Some
Employees May Learn To Beat The System (Quality Control Is Critical Here)
· Dissatisfaction
Can Result If Employees Perceive Inequities
(No Pay For Rework)
Piece
Rate System Best Used In Processes Where:
· Worker
Output Easily Measured
· Jobs
Are Standard And Stable
· Regular
Flow, Adequate Backlog
· Standard
Of Workmanship Is Clear
Standard
Hour System: Wage Rate
Varies As Output Exceeds or Falls Short of A Pre-determined Standard Hourly
Output
Group Incentives -
1-Small
Group Incentives Which Apply To The Team(Suitable To Worker Paced Line Flow
(Where Group Can Control Product/Output)
2-Plant/Company
Wide Incentives Which Apply Plant/Company Wide:
§ Productivity
Or Gain-Sharing Plans, i.e. Productivity Efficiency Enhancement and Reward
(PEER)
§ Scanlon
Plan Establishes:
· A
Bonus Pool For Output In Excess Of A
Predetermined Baseline
· Monthly
Gainsharing From "Pot" (Based Upon "Beating" A Unit Labor
Cost Standard)
· Traditional
Profit Sharing
Job Design Affects Quality Of Work Life
(Maslow's
Hierarchy Of Needs And Hertzburg's Motivation-Hygiene Theory)
Consider::
§ Compensation
§ Safety
And Health At Workplace
§ Self
Fulfillment
· Satisfaction
· Sense
Of Importance
§ Opportunity
For Personal Growth
§ Security
§ Social
Well Being
§ Individual
Rights In Workplace
§ Work
Relative To Family/Leisure Time
§ Social
Acceptance Of Occupation
Categories
Of Job Redesign:
Job
Enlargement:
Combining Activities To Make Job More Comprehensive,
hence, in Theory, More Rewarding
Job
Enrichment:
§ Provide
Worker More Control Over Work He/She Does
§ Increase
Worker Sense of Autonomy And Responsibility
Trend
is towards increased worker involvement in:
§ Participating
in Quality Programs (Quality circles, Board Membership, SP are examples of
this) Other student examples?
Trade
Unions: Discuss pros
and cons of unions in the workplace.
How
Might Job Design/Redesign Initiatives Be Impacted By Unions?
(Consider
both positive and negative impacts)