An introduction to the process of designing work methods – The general procedure for solving problems

In the general procedure for solving problems, three different phases can be distinguished: i) a definition phase, ii) a search phase and iii) a definition phase.

Definition phase

It consists of determining the characteristics of the problem, that is:

• The specifications of the initial and final state.
• Existing restrictions.
• The criterion (preference).
• The number of repetitions.
• The time limit.
• This includes a description of the data or constraints within which the methods analyst must operate.

Search phase

The search process implies an inquiry regarding the alternative solutions of the problem, that is, the different methods to achieve the transformation of the initial state towards the end.

This process is characterized by an investigation as exhaustive as possible, to later carry out a synthesis. In this phase, the ingenuity and inventiveness of the methods analyst plays an important role.

Decision phase

The decision process consists of evaluating the alternatives obtained, and then choosing based on the established criteria.

In practice, the aforementioned phases of the problem-solving process may have points in common, and it is often necessary to repeat the cycle, with the corresponding feedback, before finding a satisfactory solution.

An introduction to the process of designing work methods – The characteristics of a problem

What are the characteristics of a problem?

Being familiar with the characteristics of a problem is one of the foundations for its solution, since it facilitates the understanding and scope of the design and the procedure that it implies, since the design is, in essence, the solution to a problem that by tradition is entrusted to the engineers.

Solving an engineering problem, including of course related to methods engineering, involves dealing with several different methods to achieve the desired result. If there were no known or unknown alternative solutions, there would be no problem.

If all solutions were equally satisfactory, then there would not be a problem either, however this is usually not the case, since a problem involves finding a preferred method; for example, the least expensive. Therefore, if the preferred method is obvious from the beginning, there is also no problem.

In any problem there is a set of initial circumstances (input, or starting point) and a set of final circumstances (output, goal, or result for which a method is sought). The characteristics of a problem are listed below:

• The number of possible solutions is, in general, large.
• Possible solutions to a practical problem are seldom obvious at first. In reality, it is not often that all possible solutions are known in advance, even if prior analysis or research has been done.
• Alternative solutions are not equally desirable, therefore the preferred solution is sought, for which it is necessary to apply selection or decision processes. In this way, the existence of methods with different degrees of preference enables a fruitful search before making a choice. The base of the preferences is usually called the criterion and in various problems in the business world, this parameter is the profit obtained; This allows choosing the best alternative among various investment alternatives. Therefore, the method sought is the one that maximizes the profit when time, money and other resources are invested.
• The relative advantage of alternative solutions to a problem is generally not evident, and the search for data, measurements and calculations must be carried out to determine it satisfactorily. 

The cost of time and other resources dedicated to solving a problem must be considered in a reasonable way, since, as with many economic concepts, a point is reached where it is more difficult to find additional solutions and where productivity begins to decline. descend. Thus, while the search for better methods continues, a point in time is reached where better solutions are unlikely to be found that justify a greater investment of time, money, and other resources.

Can a problem be solved perfectly?

There are two reasons why a problem cannot be solved perfectly: i) the time required for such a task would be greater than the life of the problem, which is true for the vast majority of problems in the industry and ii) it is not economically optimal to try to find a perfect solution. It is more economical to direct efforts to other problems that require solutions, before continuing to try to find a perfect solution.

In solving problems, it is not intended to find one that is completely ideal, nor is it expected to find it, since there would be no possibility of recognizing it as such if it were found. The idea that is pursued is to progress towards the ideal solution, looking for better solutions until it is determined that it is not productive to continue with the search.

Methods engineering

It includes designing, creating and selecting the best manufacturing methods, processes, tools, equipment, and skills to manufacture a product. When the best method interacts with the best skills and efficient worker-machine relationship exists. Of course, when one method is established, then a standard time for the product can be determined. 

Methods engineering definition

We can define methods engineering as the technique for increasing the production per unit of time or decreasing the cost per unit output. Alternatively, it can be viewed as the technique that looks for productivity improvement.
Method engineering implies the following during the history of a product:

• It is responsible for the design of the work center where the product will be produced;
• It is responsible for the continuous improvement of the work center with the purpose of find a better way to produce the product or improve its quality. This analysis is also called corporate reengineering.
• Methods engineering is in constant development because of the technological evolution. In this sense, the improvements in productivity are never ends. Research and development is therefore essential to methods engineering.

The procedure of methods engineering

• Select the project
• Get and present the data
• Analyze de data
• Develop the ideal method
• Present and install the method
• Develop a job evaluation
• Establish time standards
• Follow up the method

Productivity, types of productivity, productivity index, total productivity

Whats is productivity?

Productivity is the ratio of output to some or all of the resources used to produce the output.

Types of productivity

We can mention the following types of partial productivities:

• Labor productivity: units produced / hours worked
• Capital productivity: output / capital input
• Material productivity: output /material input

What is the productivity index?

We can calculate a type of partial productivity as labor productivity as output per man hours for a complete year. These figures obtained from year to year can be indexed and can be related to a base year so that output per man our comparisons can be made.

Definition of total productivity

It is the ratio of tangible output and tangible input.

Differences among partial productivity, total factor productivity and total productivity

Men, materials, machines, methods, money, energy, etc. are inputs.

• Partial productivity: output / one class of input
• Total factor productivity: net output / (labor + capital)
• Total productivity : sum of all tangible outputs / sum of all tangible inputs

Methods design, motion and time study

What’s methods design

Methods design is the analysis of the various ways a task can be done so as to establish the one best way. It includes motion analysis (the study of the actions the operator can use and the advantages and/or disadvantages of each variation) and standardization of procedure (the selection and recording of the selected and authorized work methods).

While ‘‘time and motion study’’ is the more commonly used term, it is more correct to use ‘‘motion and time study,’’ as the motion study to establish the standard procedure must be done prior to the establishment of a standard time to perform that work.

Motion study definition

Motion study can be defined as “the analysis of the manual and the eye movements occurring in an operation or work cycle for the purpose of eliminating wasted movements and establishing a better sequence and coordination of movements.”

Time study definition

Time study can be defined as “the procedure by which the actual elapsed time for performing an operation or subdivisions or elements thereof is determined by the use of a suitable timing device and recorded. The procedure usually but not always includes the adjustment of the actual time as the result of performance rating to derive the time which should be required to perform the task by a workman working at a standard pace and following a standard method under standard conditions.”

Attempts have been made to separate the two functions and to assign each to a specialist. Although motion study deals with method and time study deals with time, the two are nearly inseparable in practical application work. The method determines the time required, and the time determines which of two or more methods is the best. It has, therefore, been found best to have both functions handled by the same individual.

Methods engineering and workplace design

Workplace design

Material usually flows through a facility, stopping briefly at stations where additional work is done on it to bring it closer to a finished product. These workstations, or workplaces, must be designed to permit performance of the required operations, to contain all the tooling and equipment needed to fit the capabilities and limitations of the people working at them, to be safe and to interface smoothly with neighboring workplaces.

Human engineering and ergonomic factors must be considered so that all work, tools, and machine activation devices are not only within the comfortable reach of the operator but are designed for safe and efficient operation. A workplace chart which analyzes the required actions of both hands is an aid in workplace design.

Methods engineering and Process analysis

Methods engineering definition

Methods engineering is concerned with the selection, development, and documentation of the methods by which work is to be done. It includes the analysis of input and output conditions, assisting in the choice of the processes to be used, operations and work flow analyses, workplace design, assisting in tool and equipment selection and specifications, ergonomic and human factors considerations, workplace layout, motion analysis and standardization, and the establishment of work time standards.

A primary concern of methods engineering is the integration of humans and equipment in the work processes and facilities.

What’s Process analysis?

Process analysis is that step in the conversion of raw materials to a finished product at which decisions are made regarding what methods, machines, tools, inspections and routings are best. In many cases, the product’s specifications can be altered slightly, without diminishing its function or quality level, so as to allow processing by a preferred method. For this reason, it is desirable to have the product’s designer and the process engineer work together before specifications are finalized.

Methods Engineering and Work Simplification in Industrial Engineering

These reactions led to an increased interest in the work of the Gilbreths. Their efforts in methods analysis, which had previously been considered rather theoretical and impractical, became the foundation for the resurgence of industrial engineering in the 1920s and 1930s. In 1927, H. B. Maynard, G. J. Stegmerten, and S. M. Lowry wrote Time and Motion Study, emphasizing the importance of motion study and good methods. This eventually led to the term methods engineering as the descriptor of a technique emphasizing the “elimination of every unnecessary operation” prior to the determination of a time standard. In 1932, A. H. Mogenson published Common Sense Applied to Time and Motion Study, in which he stressed the concepts of motion study through an approach he chose to call work simplification. His thesis was simply that the people who know any job best are the workers doing that job. Therefore, if the workers are trained in the steps necessary to analyze and challenge the work they are doing, then they are also the ones most likely to implement improvements. His approach was to train key people in manufacturing plants at his Lake Placid Work Simplification Conferences so that they could in turn conduct similar training in their own plants for managers and workers. This concept of taking motion study training directly to the workers through the work simplification programs was a tremendous boon to the war production effort during World War II.

The first Ph.D. granted in the United States in the field of industrial engineering was also the result of research done in the area of motion study. It was awarded to Ralph M. Barnes by Cornell University in 1933 and was supervised by Dexter Kimball. Barnes’s thesis was rewritten and published as Motion and Time Study: the first full-length book devoted to this subject. The book also attempted to bridge the growing chasm between advocates of time study versus motion study by emphasizing the inseparability of these concepts as a basic principle of industrial engineering.

Another result of the reaction was a closer look at the behavioral aspects associated with the workplace and the human element. Even though the approach taken by Taylor and his followers failed to appreciate the psychological issues associated with worker motivation, their work served to catalyze the behavioral approach to management by systematically raising questions on authority, motivation, and training. The earliest writers in the field of industrial psychology acknowledged their debt to scientific management and framed their discussions in terms consistent with this system.

WHAT IS METHODS ENGINEERING?

A technique used by progressive management to improve productivity and reduce costs in both direct and indirect operations of manufacturing and non-manufacturing business organizations. Methods engineering is applicable in any enterprise wherever human effort is required. It can be defined as the systematic procedure for subjecting all direct and indirect operations to close scrutiny in order to introduce improvements that will make work easier to perform and will allow work to be done smoother in less time, and with less energy, effort, and fatigue, with less investment per unit. The ultimate objective of methods engineering is profit improvement. See also Operations research; Productivity.

Methods engineering includes five activities: planning, methods study, standardization, work measurement, and controls. Methods engineering, through planning, first identifies the amount of time that should be spent on a project so as to get as much of the potential savings as is practical. Invariably the most profitable jobs to study are those with the most repetition, the highest labor content (human work as distinguished from mechanical or process work), the highest labor cost, or the longest life-span. Next, through methods study, methods are improved by observing what is currently being done and then by developing better ways of doing it. The standardization phase includes the training of the operator to follow the standard method. Then the number of standard hours in which operators working with standard performances can do their job is determined by measurement. Finally, the established method is periodically audited, and various management controls are adjusted with the new time data. The system may include a plan for compensating labor that encourages attaining or surpassing a standard performance.