Motion Study.

Before the foreman can schedule time spent upon any phase of the “job” or contract, he must make a careful analysis of it. A reference was made to “clocking” the employee, that is, checking the amount of time taken to perform a series of movements necessary to complete the work. This is taken with a stopwatch. It is, nevertheless, insufficient, for it includes the time taken over movements which are, in themselves, unnecessary, or, technically “aimless.” (See illustration No. 2 A.) This is due to lack of analysis therefore, and for this very reason psychologists stepped in with motion studies. Each set of movements is analysed into the simplest single motions which from part of the whole process. These motions are timed, and a large number of “times” are averaged to give a fairly standard result. To the average person this may sound unimportant, but with a split-second watch there is the time of stopping the watch, the time used in connection with handling machinery, and the “human” factor which, at best, is not infallible. To make allowances for these divergences, the average time for the same movement is taken as against one “clocking.” At the same time it will be evident what is meant by waste or aimless movement if we consider how a hand is moved across the body. It may be moved straight across, across lower down, say just above the knees or breast high. It is plain that the movement in a straight line will be quicker in point of time, and less fatiguing over a period of time. The aim is to scrap wasteful movements. The problem at once arises: How can this be done? The best workman may not, necessarily, be using the straightest movements. Because his output is in advance of that of others it does not necessarily follow that he is using perfect motion. Research indicated all sorts of imperfections, so that it was on the movements of the best worker, when corrected, that the earlier motion methods were based.