Work study is the systematic examination of how work is done, with the aim of doing it better and measuring how long it should take. It has two parts:
- Method study: find the best practical way to do the job.
- Work measurement: establish the time a qualified worker needs to do the job by that method.
The order matters. Measuring a poor method just gives you an accurate time for doing the job badly.
Method study#
Method study usually follows these steps:
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| Select | Choose the job to study: a bottleneck, a high-volume operation or a quality problem |
| Record | Write down how it is done now: process charts, layout sketches, video |
| Examine | Question each step: why is it done, where, when, by whom, how |
| Develop | Design a better method: eliminate, combine, rearrange, simplify |
| Install | Train operators, change the workplace, trial the method |
| Maintain | Check it stays in use and update the standard |
In sewing rooms, typical method improvements include:
- Positioning bundles within easy reach, at the right height.
- Using both hands for picking up and aligning parts.
- Adding guides, folders and attachments to the machine.
- Removing unnecessary handling such as turning parts over twice.
- Changing the order of operations to reduce handling.
See motion study for a closer look at movement analysis.
Work measurement#
Work measurement techniques used in garment factories:
- Stopwatch time study: observe, rate and add allowances.
- Predetermined motion time systems (PMTS): build the time from standard values for basic motions. Several commercial and sector-specific systems are used in apparel.
- Standard data: reuse element times from a factory database for similar operations.
- Work sampling: random observations to estimate how time is spent across a line, useful for measuring idle time and delays.
The result of work measurement is the standard time, which in garments is usually called SMV or SAM. See what is SMV.
What work study results are used for#
- SMV for costing, planning and efficiency.
- Line balancing: operation times allow even allocation of work.
- Capacity planning in standard minutes.
- Incentive schemes, where pay is linked to earned minutes.
- Method standards for training new operators.
Good practice#
- Involve supervisors and operators. Work study done "to" people instead of "with" them is often resisted.
- Record the conditions (fabric, machine, attachments, method) with every standard.
- Update standards when methods change.
- Keep method study and cost cutting separate in communication: the goal is easier, better work.
Related: lean manufacturing in garments and SMV calculation.
Worked example: method before measurement#
An operator attaches pocket bags with a lockstitch machine. The standard from last year's time study is 0.62 minutes. Method study finds that the operator:
- Picks up the pocket bag and the panel separately from two bundles behind the machine.
- Folds the pocket bag edge by hand before sewing.
- Turns the panel over to check alignment.
Changes made: bundles moved to the left of the machine at table height, a folder fitted to fold the edge, and a marking on the panel from cutting to remove the alignment check. A new time study gives a standard of 0.48 minutes.
At the same efficiency, output on the operation rises by 0.62 / 0.48 - 1 = 29%. Measuring the old method more accurately would never have found this.
Frequently asked questions#
Is work study the same as time study? No. Time study is one technique of work measurement, which is one half of work study. Method study is the other half.
Can a small factory do work study without special software? Yes. A stopwatch, a video from a phone, a simple study sheet and trained people are enough to start.