Question

In a minimum of 100 words....What is the KSAO's of an individual and using them in a job analysis. A work oriented method of job analysis may take a different approach to collecting information. One work oriented method of job analysis is a time and motion study.

What is a time and motion study and its advantages/disadvantages?

Answer 1

• Time and motion study-Method for establishing employee productivity standards in which (1) a complex task is broken into small, simple steps,
• (2) the sequence of movements taken by the employee in performing those steps is carefully observed to detect and eliminate redundant or wasteful motion, and,
• (3) precise time taken for each correct movement is measured.
• From these measurements production and delivery times and prices can be computed and incentive schemes can be devised. Generally appropriate only for repetitive tasks, time and motion studies were pioneered by the US industrial engineer Frederick Taylor and developed by the husband and wife team of Frank Gilbreth and Dr.Lillian Gilbreth.
• Time study is concerned with the determination of the amount of time required to pet form a unit of work. It consists of the process of observing and recording the time required to perform each element of an operation so as to determine the reasonable time in which the work should be completed.
• Time study is fruitful and most effective in plants having large-scale output of standardized product, on jobs repetitively performed. Time study is not that much useful for non-standardized products; it is almost impractical to conduct time study for operators doing a series of semi-standardized jobs in a random sequence.
• The following are the main advantages of time study:
• 1. Output standards are easily convertible into standard labour cost per unit of output.
• 2. Output standards serve as yardsticks guiding managerial comparisons of actual and standard hourly production rates. An operations manager prepares lists showing actual-to-standard output ratios for each operator and each operator’s group. These reports enable the supervisor to identify substandard workers, so that they may be brought up to standard production efficiency.
• 3. Output standards facilitate scheduling and controlling the flow of production, through the determination of numbers of machines and operators required to maintain production schedules and through balancing line production for the several line operations.
• 4. Output standards also facilitate evaluation of machine capacities, a knowledge of which aids plant engineers in selecting replacement machines for purchase and use.
• 5. Time study may be taken for checking operators’ complaints about tight rates.
• Some of the limitations are as follows:
• 1. Time study is not suitable for non-repetitive jobs and for non standardized or indirect labour jobs.
• 2. It is less suitable on jobs paced by automatic machines than on jobs where operators control the work place.
• 3. If an output standard is unattainable, it subverts effective performance by lowering operator morale, due to the offered but unfulfilled incentive.
• 4. Coupled to incentive wages, output standards may contribute to under emphasis on the quality of production.
• 5. Production cost may be increased due to loose output standards.
• 6. Unions quite frequently oppose the time study because the accuracy of time study is overly dependent upon the skill and judgement of the time-study man.
• The time study engineer must be well trained and he should have both the background and experience in conducting time study. Of course, to reduce the area of human judgement, the time study engineer may employ work sampling technique.
• 7. Mechanical, physiological, psychological and sociological sources of variation may affect the output and quality performance of workers adversely. This could definitely upset the successful application of time study based output standards.
• Motion study is a systematic way of determining the best method of doing the work by scrutinizing the motions made by the worker or the machine. As per Gilbreath it is the science of eliminating the wastefulness due to unnecessary motions.
• Due to time limit,remaining can be asked as another question ,they will be answered,thankyou for your cooperation