Practice Problems: Chapter 10, Human Resources, Job Design, and Work Measurement

Problem 1:

Develop a Process Chart for making a grilled cheese sandwich.

Problem 2:

Develop an Activity Chart for doing three loads of laundry.

Problem 3:

Develop a Process Chart for changing the oil in an automobile.

Problem 4:

Develop an Activity Chart for writing a term paper.

Problem 5:

Carolyn Barrett, a marketing surveyor, takes an average of 10 minutes to complete a particular questionnaire. Carolyn’s performance rating (pace) is 110% and there is an allowance of 15%.

What is the Normal time for completing this questionnaire?

What is the Standard time for completing this questionnaire?

Problem 6:

Tom Leonard, of Leonard, Spitz, and Wareham, takes 3 hours and 25 minutes to write an end of month report. Tom is rated at 95% (work pace is 95%) and the office has a personal time allowance of 8%. There is no delay time or fatigue time.

What is the Normal time for writing an end of month report?

What is the Standard time for writing an end of month report?

Problem 7:

The two steps in preparing chocolate candy bars are molding and packaging. Personal fatigue and delay allowances are set at 15%. The molding machine operator is rated at 110% and the packer is rated at 80%. Observed times per batch are given below.

Observed Time in Minutes
Task / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Molding / 26 / 30 / 29 / 31
Packing / 45 / 50 / 35 / 30

Determine the Normal and standard times for both tasks.

Problem 8:

A work-study sample of a manufacturing activity conducted over a 40-hour period shows that a worker with an 85% rating produced 12 parts. The worker’s idle time was 10% and the allowance factor was 12%

Find the Normal and Standard time for this activity.

Problem 9:

Jim and Bob recently time-studied a janitorial task. From a sample of 75 observations, they computed an average cycle time of 15 minutes with a standard deviation of 2 minutes. Was their sample large enough that one can be 99% confident that the standard time is within 5% of the true value?

Problem 10:

Consider the following task broken down into 5 MTM elements:

TMUs / Code in MTM Books
Reach to tool box / 14.2 / R12D
Grasp a tool / 3.5 / BG1
Separate tool by pressing / 10.6 / AP2
Turn tool / 3.5 / T45S
Move and focus eyes / 13.4 / M12B

What is the total time for the task?

ANSWERS

Problem 1:

One possible solution. The level of detail in process charts depends upon the requirements of the job. Time is often included to aid analysis of value added.

Process Chart
Distance
/
Symbol
/
Process Description
10 / /
Move to cabinet
- / /
Get loaf of bread
6 / /
Move to counter
- / /
Open loaf of bread
- / /
Remove two slices of bread
- / /
Lay slices on counter-top
- / /
Close loaf of bread
/
Move to cabinet
/
Replace loaf of bread on shelf
10 / /
Move to refrigerator
/
Get mustard, package of ham from refrigerator, and butter
10 / /
Move to counter
- / /

Open package of ham

- / /

Remove two slices of ham

- / /

Close package of ham

- / /

Open mustard

- / /

Spread mustard on bread

- / /

Close mustard

- / /

Place ham on bread

- / /

Close sandwich

- / /

Open butter

- / /

Spread butter on top slice of bread

5 / /

Move to stove

- / /

Get fry pan

- / /

Turn heat on under fry pan

- / /

Wait for pan to heat

5 / /

Move to counter

- / /

Get sandwich & butter

5 / /

Move to stove

- / /

Place sandwich, buttered-side down in pan

- / /

Butter top slice

- / /

Close butter

5 / /

Move to counter

- / /

Pick up ham, mustard, and butter

10 / /

Move to refrigerator

- / /

Return butter, mustard, and ham to refrigerator

5 / /

Move to stove

- / /

Wait for sandwich to brown on bottom

- / /

Inspect

- / /

Flip sandwich

- / /

Wait for sandwich to brown on bottom

- / /

Inspect sandwich

10 / /

Move to serving area

- / /

Serve sandwich

Problem 2:

Time / Operator / Machine 1
Washer / Machine 2
Dryer

Load clothes and detergent in to Machine 1

/

Being loaded

/

Idle

Idle

/

Run

/

Idle

/

Remove clothes from Machine 1

/

Being unloaded

/

Idle

Load clothes into Machine 2

/

Idle

/

Being loaded

Load clothes and detergent into Machine 1

/

Being loaded

/

Run

Idle

/

Run

/

Run

Remove clothes from Machine 2

/

Idle

/

Being unloaded

Hang clothes

/

Idle

/

Idle

Problem 3:

One solution might be:

Process Chart for
Changing Oil in Car

Distance

/

Symbol

- / /

Check that needed filter is in stock

- / /

Check that oil is in stock

30 / /

Move to car

/

Get into car

- / /

Start engine

- / /

Idle car to warm engine

- / /

Drive car onto lift

- / /

Stop engine

/

Release hood catch

- / /

Get out of car

10 / /

Go to lift control

/

Raise lift

10 / /

Go to toolbox

/

Get wrench

/

Get container for drained oil

/

Get rag

10 / /

Walk under lift

- / /

Wipe around oil drain plug

- / /

Loosen oil drain plug

- / /

Position container

- / /

Remove oil drain plug

- / /

Drain oil

- / /

Wipe around oil drain plug

- / /

Replace oil drain plug

- / /

Tighten oil drain plug

20 / /

Remove container to disposal area

15 / /

Move to lift control

/

Lower lift

/

Wipe oil from wrench

5 / /

Move to toolbox

/

Return wrench to tool chest

/

Get oil filter wrench from tool chest

/

Get container for drained oil

10 / /

Move to car engine area

- / /

Raise hood

/

Find oil filter

- / /

Loosen oil filter

- / /

Position container

/

Remove oil filter

20 / /

Take old filter and container of drained oil to disposal area

25 / /

Move to filter stock area

/

Get new filter

25 / /

Move to car engine area

- / /

Wipe around filter mount oil seal

- / /

Install new filter

- / /

Tighten new filter

/

Remove oil filler cap

40 / /

Move to oil stock

/

Get oil from stock

/

Move to car engine compartment

/

Open oil container; pour in oil filler

/

Replace oil filler cap

/

Clean hands

/

Start engine

/

Idle engine

/

Stop engine

/

Check oil level

/

Check oil filter seal

/

Check oil drain plug

/

Wipe up any spilled oil

/

Take empty oil containers to disposal area

/

Wipe oil from oil filter wrench

25 / /

Return oil filter wrench to tool chest

/

Start engine

/

Drive car off lift

/

Park car for owner pickup

/

Return keys

Problem 4:

Activity Chart for Writing Term Paper
Time / Operator / Computer 1
Desktop / Computer 2
Library

Develop topic

/

Used for word processing

Develop initial outline

/

Used for word processing

/

Research

/

Used for look-up and web search

Flesh out outline with information from research

/

Used for word processing

Evaluate paper

Final edit paper

/

Used for word processing

Proof read paper

/

Used for word processing

Print final copy of paper

/

Used for printing

Does this Activity Chart contain enough detail that you could estimate the time it would take to write the term paper?

Problem 5:

Problem 6:

Problem 7:

Observed Times in Minutes
Task / 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Molding / 26 / 30 / 29 / 31
Packing / 45 / 50 / 35 / 30

For Molding:

For Packing:

Average actual Packing time = 40 minutes

Problem 8:

Average actual time = 40 hours

Problem 9:

To find the number of samples required:

Therefore, the sample size of 75 is sufficient.

Problem 10:

TMUs / Code in MTM Books
Reach to tool box / 14.2 / R12D
Grasp a tool / 3.5 / BG1
Separate tool by pressing / 10.6 / AP2
Turn tool / 3.5 / T45S
Move and focus eyes / 13.4 / M12B
TOTAL / 45.2

Remember: 1 TMU = .0006 minutes.

Translating to minutes: 45.2 TMUs * .0006 = .027 minutes

Translating to seconds: .027 minutes * 60 = 1.627 seconds

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