Blackwell Reference Online

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Work measurement 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. There are various ways in which work may be measured and a variety of techniques have been established. The basic procedure, irrespective of the particular measurement technique being used, consists of three stages: 1 an analysis phase in which the job is divided into convenient, discrete components, commonly known as elements; 2 a measurement phase in which the 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; 3 a synthesis phase in which the various elemental times are added, together with appropriate allowances (see below), to construct the standard time for the complete job. The techniques used to measure work can be classified into those that rely on direct observation of the work, and those that do not. For example, some techniques, such as predetermined motion time systems and the use of synthetic or standard data, can provide times from simulation or even visualization of the work. However, the data on which such techniques are based were almost certainly based on earlier observation of actual work. Direct observation techniques (such as time study and analytical estimating ) include ... log in or subscribe to read full text