Work Measurement

Work Measurement- Work measurement is the application of techniques designed to establish the work content of a specified task and the time taken for a qualified worker to complete that task at a defined level of performance. It determines how much time is required to do a particular job. While job design specifies the work activities or set of tasks of an individual/group in an organizational setup, Work Measurement analyzes these work activities for setting performance standards and benchmarks.

Work measurement is used in preparing budgets, manpower & resource planning, scheduling, standard costing, and in designing incentive schemes. It plays a key factor in monitoring and measuring performance in terms of standard time. Workforce planning for a particular job helps to determine additional labor requirements, overtime hours, and so on. Work measurement methods are used to determine the most efficient means of performing a task. Scheduling work effectively motivates the workforce with objective targets and incentive plans. Work measurement brings standardization and helps eliminate wastage due to non-value adding activities.

Work Measurement Techniques

Work Measurement Techniques depend on factors like the type of work & degree of accuracy and detail required. The most commonly used methods for Work Measurement are:

Time Study: This method relies on direct observation and the use of a timing device to measure the work content of a particular task and determine the time required for completing the task by a qualified worker at a defined level of performance.
Pre-determined Motion Time Systems (PMTS): This method of work measurement divides work into basic human movements and analyzes the work done by classifying each such movement according to its nature and characteristics. Data tables are then created to provide a time, at a defined rate of working, for each classification of each movement. Pre-determined Motion Time Systems lend themselves most easily to detailed manual labor where fundamental movements can be easily identified (e.g. reach, grasp, pick up) along with the time required to complete each one. PMTS require large amounts of data and do not provide for movements made under working conditions that may not follow the norm such as cramped settings or unnatural body postures. On the other hand, PMTS is very useful for studying and improving jobs because of the amount of detail they require.
Activity Sampling: This is a statistical technique that uses a large number of observations made over a period of time of a work activity. Each observation records what happens in that instance and the percentage of observations recorded for a particular activity becomes the measure of time during which that activity occurs. The advantage of activity sampling is that work measurement studies can be carried out at low costs while at the same time producing statistically accurate data.
Analytical Estimating: This method of job measurement is used to determine the time value of jobs having long and non-repetitive operations. The time values are typically determined based on past experience or synthetic data whichever is available. It is important that values based on past experience must be recorded only when the incumbent has significant experience with the task. The disadvantage in suing analytical estimating is that it relies entirely on the judgment of the estimator, so values obtained may not be as accurate as those estimated by direct observation.
Synthesis: This method uses data obtained form previous time studies to build a standard time measurement for a task. Synthesis is useful in establishing the work content for a work that is undertaken in batches or is of a repetitive nature. The advantage of synthesis is that because multiple time studies are used to calculate a standard time measurement, the final data is more likely to be accurate. Another advantage is cost reduction for measurement processes since it saves time and effort required for repeated direct observation of a task.