Time study problems

[amk7772005]

Hi y'all,

I'm basically an entry-level engineer, and I've been thrown into time study work. I'm at a company who are trying to verify/update their standard piece rates, and are using time studies for that purpose.

I'm using the standard formula using Standard/Normal/Observed time with allowances and such. My allowances are set to 15%. I've also added in numerous extra elements, such as machine down time and restocking of parts, breaks/setups, and have included a rating factor for each operator in an effort to level out the times. A couple questions:

First, is the 15% allowance supposed to cover all extra elements such as machine down time and part stocking, or am I right to add that in seperately?

Second, I am getting a whole slew of results, from equal to the standard to 180% of the standard. I find it hard to believe that they're operating so far off their potential, and since I'm new at this I assume there's a flaw in my methods/analysis somewhere, but I can't figure out what that might be. I am confident on my measurements for the base elements, but am not sure I'm getting everything concerning the extra elements, although I've tried to be thorough.

Are there any tips or suggestions??? I am finding it impossible to find practical (or any, for that matter) literature on time studies. Any tips/advice would be most welcome. Thanks.

 

[BillPSU]

Obviously the person who put you in this position is the one you should be asking. A little training goes a long way. The 15% allowance is the PF&D (personal, fatigue, and delay) allowance. It covers break time, bathroom time, worker fatigue and misc. minor delays. It does not cover stocking parts or machine downtime. Strictly speaking these activities are usually performed off of the production time (indirect). The problem with allowing these times is it will vary between operators and equipment used.
Depending on the environment you work in (union or non-union, incentive) time standards can be very closely followed or loose.
The problem with time standards is they do not add value to the product. I have never seen a customer pay for a time standard or how close a time standard is. Management uses time standards for various purposes such as worker performance, costing, and efficiency numbers.

The time spent on time standards should be based on how important they are to management. Direct labor on most products produced in the US is not a large percentage of the cost of the product while overhead is.

Time standards do vary depending on what the work content is supposed to be.

 

[griffengm]

First of all, is there anyone who can tell you which elements were included initially? Apparently there is no written standard for your company so you might consider creating one as you move through this round. If you decide to do this, keep in mind that how you handle some of the questions you raise has a long lasting effect. Not only do you need input from IE people but also from accounting and personnel.
Secondly, whatever you do must be justifiable and repeatable. If there is ever a disciplinary action centered on not meeting a rate, you will be on the "hot seat."
Third, there is the concept of pace rate. Some operators react to a stop watch by slowing down hence rates all over the place on the same job and even by the same operator. Do the actions of the operator look like he is swimming in molasses? Does there seem to be a lot of actions that have little or no relationship to the job at hand? Do you feel like you should be using a calendar rather than a stop watch? Is there an adversarial history between management and labor?
If the company seems to believe in do-it-yerself timestudy training make like a shepherd and get the flock out of there. Unless you have a direct line to the owner/manager you will likely acheive little.
References you can use: Time and Motion Study by Neibel;
Hbk of Industrial Engineering by Salvendy;
Maynard's Industrial engineering Handbook by Hodson.


Griffy