How do you perform a time study of a manufacturing process?

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I've been asked to do a time study of a manufacturing process. First of all, what is a time study?.

I'm not sure what is expected from this time study. From my conversation with Matt (Company President), he made reference to the number of people utilized to run various products. Then again, he may be searching for ideas to improve productivity, reduce downtime, and synchronize line activities.

The setting is a food preparation, processing, filling and packaging operation. There is a total of 9 people on the line.

Let me know if additional information is needed.

Oscar

-- Oscar R. Arceo (o_arceo@yahoo.com), November 05, 2000

Answers

What is Time Study, this book will show you what it is - http://vig.prenhall.com/acadbook/0,2581,0138974551,00.html

What I personally think of time study from my world view is a way for consultants to leach more money and leave a short term fix behind as their pay. Some managers are still having sex with Fredrick Winslow Taylor and no matter how many orgasms they get on a stop watch, they are no closer to recognizing that we are entering the 21st Century.

If you want time study and work flow in the traditional sense, just do it. I recommend in order to keep your job that you should establish what your manager really wants you to do rather than base it on what an author thinks time study is.

If you want to start getting ahead of the curve and beyond time study then you have to begin to alter your worldview of manufacturing, that might include appreciating the work of Eliyahu M. Goldratt and Robert E. Fox ie The Goal and The Race.

Also look at Christopher Meyer's Fast Cycle Time. Ultimately the Japanese who were revolutioned by the ideas of Deming and Juran (before the West completely iconized them for the wrong reasons ie Baldridge, ISO), still provide the smart way forward, I recommend

The New Manufacturing Method by Kiyoshi Suzaki and the 5S methodology in 5 Pillars of the Visual Workplace by Hiroyuki Hirano.

Of course you can always have standard sex with time study, but take this opportunity to do basic grunt work but also to begin appreciating all the great ideas and improvements in manufacturing that have surfaced in recent years.

Good luck Oscar, Its 6am in the morning where I am right now so I have to get back to my own study - called running my business (after a nutritous breakfast of course).

-- Mark Zorro (zorromark@consultant.com), November 05, 2000.


The answer lies in tracking Total Available Profit in relation to Actual Profit product by product minute by minute. Sounds scary but its not after doing a little homework. To understand the concept read The Goal by E. Goldratt where you can learn about how to track throughput and margins simultaneously. Cheers

-- Bill Fisher (Bill-Fisher@RelevancySystems.Com), November 11, 2000.

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