Labor planning
A means of determining staffing policies dealing with employment stability, work schedules, and work rules
Job design
An approach that specifies the tasks that constitute a job for an individual or a group
Labor specialization (or job specialization)
The division of labor into unique ("special") tasks
Job enlargement
The grouping of a variety of tasks about the same skill level; horizontal enlargement
Job rotation
A system in which an employee is moved from one specialized job to another
Job enrichment
A method of giving an employee more responsibility that includes some of the planning and control necessary for job accomplishment; vertical expansion
Employee empowerment
Enlarging employee jobs so that the added responsibility and authority are moved to the lowest level possible
Self-directed team
A group of empowered individuals working together to reach a common goal
Ergonomics
The study of the human interface with the environment and machines
Methods analysis
A system that involves developing work procedures that are safe and produce quality products efficiently
Flow diagram
A drawing used to analyze movement of people or material
Process chart
Graphic representations that depict a sequence of steps for a process
Activity chart
A way of improving utilization of an operator and a machine or some combination of operators (a crew) and machines
Operations chart
A chart depicting right- and left- hand motions
Visual workplace
Uses a variety of visual communication techniques to rapidly communicate information to stake- holders
Labor standards
The amount of time required to perform a job or part of a job
Time study
Timing a sample of a worker's performance and using it as a basis for setting a standard time
Average observed time
The arithmetic mean of the times for each element measured, adjusted for unusual influence for each element
Normal time
The average observed time, adjusted for pace
Standard time
An adjustment to the total normal time; the adjustment provides allowances for personal needs, unavoidable work delays, and fatigue
Predetermined time standards
A division of manual work into small basic elements that have established and widely accepted times
Therbligs
Basic physical elements of motion
Time measurement units (TMUs)
Units for very basic micromotions in which 1 TMU = .0006 min, or 100,000 TMUs = 1 hr
Work sampling
An estimate, via sampling, of the percentage of the time that a worker spends on various tasks