ABSTRACT
The concept of ‘time and motion’ studies were once viewed with suspicion as it was perceived by many as a mechanism for management to make operatives work harder without any increase in pay. This manifests itself when management employs work study engineers to look at a method of work to see if they can improve the time it takes to carry out an operation or to reorganise the work so that it can be carried out with fewer personnel. It is therefore very important that whenever work study is employed, the workforce under scrutiny understands why it is being done, and to eliminate the ‘cloak and dagger’ image of the process. Initially, it was an activity addressing production issues, but recently this has been extended to encompass maintenance work, clerical and administrative procedures, and other non-manufacturing environments.
