Measuring work without stopping the work
Tips from our work-study tutors on timing tasks fairly when operators are wary of the stopwatch.
Stopwatches still earn their place in industrial engineering, but trust evaporates when timing feels like policing. Before the first rating, explain what you will and will not use the numbers for. If the study feeds a layout change rather than a headcount cut, say so clearly.
Stand where you can see the hands and the part without blocking the aisle. Announce each element you are timing so the operator can correct you if you have split the task oddly. Wrong element boundaries waste everyone’s time and produce averages nobody believes.
Collect enough cycles to cover normal variation—different batch sizes, left- versus right-handed reach, and the awkward last piece in a tote. Three tidy cycles of an easy batch do not describe a Friday afternoon.
Rating skill comes with practice. Our diploma students film practice cycles in the studio, then compare ratings in pairs before they visit a live site. The goal is consistency within the team, not theatrical precision to two decimal places.
When you share results, show the range as well as the average. Operators recognise their own difficult cycles; a single polished number invites argument. Pair the timing sheet with a methods note so improvements target awkward reaches, not simply ‘work faster’.