Techniques of Scientific Management> Standardisation and Simplification of Work

Standardisation of Work refers to setting benchmarks or standards for processes, materials, time, products, machinery, and working conditions.

Objectives:

• Reduce product lines to a fixed number of types.
• Establish standards of excellence and quality in materials.
• Enable interchangeability of manufactured parts.
• Establish performance standards for workmen.

Simplification of Work aims at eliminating unnecessary varieties, sizes, and dimensions of products.

Benefits:

• Reduction in costs of labour, machines, and tools.
• Reduction in inventories.
• Fuller utilisation of equipment.
• Increase in turnover.

• Objective: Finding the one best way to do a job.
• Techniques used: Process charts, operations research.
• Covers movement of workers and materials, layout of workplace, and the right design of equipment.
• Example: Assembly line production at Ford - workers remain stationary while the product moves.

Study of movements of body and limbs while doing a job.

Movements classified into:

• Productive movements – effective and necessary.
• Incidental movements – unavoidable but not directly productive.
• Unproductive movements – unnecessary; to be eliminated.
• Objective: Eliminate unnecessary and wasteful movements.
• Example: Frank Gilbreth studied the movements of bricklayers and reduced the number of motions in bricklaying from 18 to 5.

• Determines the standard time required to perform a task.
• Standard time is determined based on multiple observations (average taken).

Uses:

• Determining the number of workers required.
• Deciding workload norms.
• Calculating labour costs.
• Providing a basis for incentive wage schemes.

• Determines the frequency and duration of rest intervals in a work shift.
• Ensures workers maintain stamina and achieve the expected productivity level.

Causes of fatigue:

• Long working hours.
• Unsuitable work.
• Poor relations with employer or colleagues.
• Poor working conditions.

• Standardisation sets benchmarks for processes, materials, time, products, machinery, and working conditions.
• Simplification eliminates unnecessary varieties to reduce costs and improve resource utilisation.
• Method Study finds the best way to do a job using process charts and operations research.
• Motion Study classifies movements into productive, incidental, and unproductive - aiming to eliminate unproductive ones.
• Time Study sets standard time per task to determine workforce size, workload norms, labour costs, and incentive schemes.
• Fatigue Study identifies rest intervals to sustain worker productivity and prevent burnout.