What is a Time in Motion Study?
Time and motion studies are a great way to uncover areas for improvement in your manufacturing operation. They are a structured approach to measuring how much time your employees spend on their various tasks, as well as how much distance they cover throughout the day. When you have the data from your time and motion study, you can then make adjustments to reduce any inefficiencies that have been uncovered. This helps you get the most out of your workers without requiring them to sacrifice efficiency or comfort. Working faster and staying more organised is easier said than done. But by introducing a few simple changes, it’s also much easier achieved. Try these five tips for getting started with making real change at work.
Be clear about your objectives
To get the most out of your time and motion study, you first need to be clear about your objectives for the study. Different industries may have different reasons for conducting a time and motion study, as well as different ways of using the resulting data. For example, in a manufacturing environment, the time and motion study may be used as an employee training tool. If an employee is spending too much time at a specific task, the data from the time and motion study can be used to help that employee find ways to improve. The time and motion study could also be used as an evaluation tool to determine the efficiency of the production process. When used in this way, the data from the time and motion study is used to make adjustments to the process in order to maximise production without adding additional personnel. The time and motion study can also be used to identify potential safety issues.
Decide on the parameters you’ll measure
There are several pieces of data that you can measure during a time and motion study. One of the most common measurements is distance. This is particularly helpful when you have employees who are walking around the workplace during their shift. The time and motion study can also help you measure how much time is spent on each task, allowing you to see if there is any room to improve productivity. You will also want to take note of any breaks employees take during their shift. This will allow you to see if there are times when employees are not getting the break they need. You can also note how much time it takes for employees to get to their workstations, and how long it takes to leave at the end of the day.
Track the data for at least a week
There are several methods for gathering data during a time and motion study. The most common approach is to use stopwatches to track employee activity. You may also use a pedometer to track the distance employees walk during their shift. There are also Apps and software available which help automate the data collection and analysis of the study.
For the best results, you want to do a time and motion study for at least a week. This will give you enough data to get an accurate picture of how the workers are currently spending their day. Before you start the time and motion study, you will want to identify a specific time of day when the study will take place. This will allow you to get an accurate reflection of how long it takes employees to complete their tasks.
Review the results and determine next steps
When you have gathered the data from your time and motion study, you will need to review it to determine next steps. You can use software to track and organize the data, or you can create a spreadsheet to keep track of the results. You may want to compare the results from your time and motion study to a similar study from the past to see if there has been any improvement. Once you have the data organised, you can review the results to see where there may be opportunities for improvement. Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is this process adding value to the business?
- Is it being done somewhere else?
- What can be done to make it more efficient?
You can then use this information to make adjustments to the workflow or the equipment used in the workplace. Remember to monitor all changes you have made to determine whether they have produced the desired results.
You may find that there is nothing that needs to be changed. In this case, you will have gained a better understanding of how your employees work and be able to better appreciate their efforts.
Offer rewards to celebrate success
At the end of the day, time and motion studies are all about improving efficiency in your company. However, there is one more reason to conduct these studies that often gets overlooked: celebrating success.
When you have completed the time and motion study, you will have a better understanding of how your employees spend their day. This information can help you provide better support and resources to your team. It can also help you find areas where you can reduce costs by eliminating unnecessary tasks that your employees are spending too much time on. If you have conducted a time and motion study in your workplace, there is always room for improvement. With the right approach, you can make real change for the better.