Methods Engineering & Layout Planning
Part II
Chapters:
8. Introduction to Methods Engineering and
Operations Analysis
9. Charting Techniques
10. Motion Study and Work Design
11. Facility Layout Planning and Design
1
Introduction to Methods Engineering
and Operations Analysis
Sections:
1. Evolution and Scope of Methods Engineering
Chapter 8 2. How to Apply Methods Engineering
3. Basic Data Collection and Analysis
Techniques
4. Automation and Methods Engineering
2
Methods Engineering
 Analysis and design of work methods
and systems, including the
 tooling,
 equipment,
 technologies,
 workplace layout,
 plant layout, and
 work environment
3
Other names for methods engineering:





Work study
Work simplification
Methods study
Process re-engineering
Business process re-engineering
 Methods Engineering is often
associated with work measurement.
4
Objectives in Methods Engineering











Increase productivity and efficiency
Reduce cycle time
Reduce product cost
Reduce labor content
Improve motivation and morale‫الروح المعنوية‬
Improve product and/or service quality
Improve customer satisfaction
Reduce lead times and improve work flow
Increase flexibility of work system
Improve worker safety
Enhance the environment (both inside and
outside the facility)
5
Operations Analysis
 Study of an operation or group of related
operations for the purpose of analyzing their
efficiency
and
effectiveness
so
that
improvements can be developed
 Objectives in operations analysis
 Increase productivity
 Reduce time and cost
 Improve safety and quality
 Same basic objectives as methods engineering
 Methods engineering places more emphasis on
design. It is broader than operations analysis.
6
Evolution and Scope of Methods
Engineering
 Initial research (late 19th century) - Frank
Gilbreth: Motion study
 Scientific management (late 19th century-early
20th century)- Frederick W. Taylor: Motion and
time study (first principle of the five principles)
 Primary concern: manual physical labor
 Today: methods engineering is applied to
areas such as indirect labor, logistics, service
operations, office work, and plant layout.
7
Methods Engineering
Can be divided into two areas:
1. Methods analysis
2. Methods design
8
Methods Analysis
 Concerned with the study of an existing method or
process
 break the method (process) down into work
elements or basic operations
 examine the details of the elements: a systematic
(methodical) search to improve the process
 This involved checklists of questions and
suggestions for improvements
 Objectives :
 Eliminate unnecessary and non-value-adding work
elements
 Combine elements and operations
 Rearrange elements into more logical sequence
 Simplify remaining elements and operations
9
Methods Design
Concerned with either of the following situations:
1.Design of a new method or process
 Required for new product or service and there
is no existing precedent ‫سابق‬
 Method must be designed from scratch ‫بدأ من‬
‫الصفر‬, using best existing practice ‫أفضل الممارسات‬
‫ القائمة‬for similar operations
2.Redesign of an existing method or process based
on a preceding methods analysis
10
Systematic Approach in Methods
Engineering
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Define the problem and objectives
Analyze the problem
Formulate alternatives
Evaluate alternatives and select the best solution
Implement the best method
Audit the study ‫(مراجعة الدراسة‬follow-ups)
11
The Techniques of Methods Engineering
 The following techniques are mostly accociated
with the analysis step in the methods
engineering.
o
o
o
o
o
o
Data gathering and statistical tools
Charting and diagramming techniques
Motion Study and Work Design
Facility Layout Planning
Work Measurement Techniques
New approaches
18
Charting & Diagramming Techniques
 They are available mainly for collecting,
displaying and analyzing data
 Network diagrams
 Traditional industrial
techniques
 Operation charts
 Process charts
 Flow diagrams
engineering
 Other (alternative) diagrams
 Block diagrams
 Process maps
charting
19
Motion Study and Work Design
 Concerned with basic motions of a human
worker while performing a given task
 17 basic motion elements, like reach, grasp,
move, release
 “Principles of motion economy”- guidelines for
work design
o Use of human body in developing the standard
method (e.g., design the work so that both hands are
fully utilized)
o Workplace layout
o Design of tooling used in the task
20
Motion Study and Work Design -Objective
 Unnecessary motions can be eliminated.
 Some of the
combined.
motion
elements
can
be
 The method can be simplified.
21
Facility Layout Planning
 Facility layout refers to:
o Size and shape of a facility
o Arrangement of the different departments and
equipment within the facility
 The layout plays an important role in determining
the overall efficiency of the operations
 Problem area includes:
o Design of a new facility
o Installing new equipment, retiring old
equipment
o Expanding (or contracting) an existing facility
22
Work Measurement Techniques


Four basic work measurement techniques:
1. Direct time study
2. Predetermined motion time systems
(PMTS)
3. Standard data systems
4. Work sampling
They can be used in methods engineering to
make improvements in the work methods
23
Basic Data Collection & Analysis Tools
1. Histograms
2. Pareto charts
3. Pie charts
4. Check sheets
5. Defect concentration diagrams
6. Scatter diagrams
7. Cause and effect diagrams
27