Improving Work Measurement Practice for

Method Improvement and Process Design

Using Video Analysis
Peeradaech

Suwittayaruk

Supervisor : Prof. dr.ir. Dirk Van Goubergen

Abstract : Performance rating is probable the most important and
critical step in the entire work measurement procedure when
determining standard times using stopwatch. Among the many
ways, pace rating or speed rating is the fastest and most widely used
method, however not easy. Hence, the first part of this research
focuses on how to improve current pace rating methods. In this
method, the speed of working is (visually) related to an idea of
normal pace according to a fair days work philosophy. This
visual method has many disadvantages (subjective, not
reproducable,). With modern video technology it is possible to
simulate any pace and to use precalibrated movies (analyzed with
MTM-1) to improve visual pace rating. Video recording of work
methods can thus be used to asses the real pace of a worker or
better standard setting.
Keywords : Work Measurement, Pace Rating, Normal Pace,
Precalibrated Movies, MTM-1

I. INTRODUCTION
Having good time standards for operations is very
important in manufacturing processes. These times are
needed for planning/scheduling, cost and budget calculations
but also for process design and improvement. Many
organizations are using work measurement in order to
measure and control the amount of time required to perform a
specific task. Work measurement or time study is a general
term used to describe the systematic application of industrial
engineering techniques to establish the work content and
determine the time it should take to complete a task or series
of tasks by a well trained, motivated and qualified operator.
Industrial Engineers can nowadays use video technology to
analyze times and work organization from his or her
computer, alone or in a team, with no need to interfere at the
shop floor.
II. THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS
A. Work measurement
The goal of work measurement is to establish the time
needed by a qualified worker to carry out a task at a defined
rate of working[1]. There are four types of
work
measurement techniques : direct time study, predetermined
time standards, standard data and work sampling [2],[3].
Direct time study is the most widely used work measurement
technique. It is used when manufacturing companies need
standard times with accuracy and high confidence for any
standards.
S. Peeradaech is a PhD. student at the Industrial Management Department,
Ghent University (UGent), Gent, Belgium.
E-mail: peeradaech.suwittayaruk@UGent.be .

Standard time is a very important term in time study.

Below is illustrated how the standard time is calculated.
Standard time = normal time + allowances
(1)
Allowances are determined by the work circumstances,
while normal time can be calculated as follows
normal time = observed time * (R/100)

(2)

R is the performance rating, expressed as a percentage,

with 100% as the standard performance by a normal operator
[2]. Determining R is the most challenging aspect of work
measurement. The basic purpose of determining R is to
normalize or adjust the mean observed time for each work
element performed during the task. Hence, it relates to the
normal time that would be required by an average operator to
perform the same work over and over again. The quality of
the standard time is heavily dependant on the evaluation of
R.
B. An idea of normal pace
Normal pace according to a fair days work philosophy
means a work pace that is fair to both the company and the
employee[3].Employees are expected to perform the
prescribed work at a normal pace, not too fast nor too slow
but at a pace that may be considered as representative for a
full days output by a well-trained, experienced, and
cooperative operator [2].
Currently, examples of normal pace commonly used are [4]:
1. Walking 264 feet in 1 minutes or 3 miles per hour,
2. Dealing 52 cards into four equal stacks around 30*30
in 0.5 minutes,
3. Filling a 30 holes pinboard in 0.435 minutes using
two hands.
Training films for rating are also used.
C. Performance rating methods
Performance rating methods can be categorized in 4 types
[3]: the westinghouse system, synthetic rating, pace rating or
speed rating and objective rating. Among the many ways,
pace rating is the fastest method and most widely used.
For this one it is necessary to have an effective way for
quantifying the observed pace of working in comparison
with the standard pace. There are several pace rating scales
in use, the most common are the 60-80 Bedaux scale, the 75100 scale, 100-133 BSI/MTM scale and 0-100 scales[1]. The
100-133 BSI/MTM scale is easy to use and to understand as
the 100% pace set by walking 3 miles per hour.

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D. MTM-1
MTM -1 is a predetermined time standards technique that
provides the highest accuracy compared to the other MTM
systems. It gives predetermined time values for fundamental
motions such as : Reaching, Moving, Turning, Apply
pressure, Grasping, Position, Release, Disengage, Eye
Movements, and Body Movement [5]. The time data of
MTM -1 was determined with 100% pace.

Hence, video technology can be used to asses the real

pace of a worker. This proposed way has many advantages : it
is more objective, reproducable, more confident and the IE
doesnt need an extensive training any more.
Our proposed method makes a highly discussable item like
assessing work performance easy and acceptable to workers,
unions and management.
IV. EXPERIMENTS

III. TRADITIONAL & PROPOSED WAY OF

PACE RATING

A. Traditional way
Figure 1 shows the traditional way of pace rating.
Industrial Engineers are trained using reference videos of
card dealing, walking and industrial operations. Afterwards,
when rating the pace of an actual work method, the IE must
compare the actual rate of working with these references in
his mind. This way, it is not very easy and rather subjective
for IEs to get a correct pace rate. This visual method has
many disadvantages : it is subjective, not reproducible, has a
low confidence and one needs a long time for training.
Standard
100% pace film

Currently we are setting up and conducting experiments. In

one experiment, we are using two movies (analyzed with
MTM -1) to compare as shown in figure 3. The both contain
similar motions like reaching, grasping, moving, position,
and release. The 100-133 scale was used in this experiment.
Adjusted pace for the precalibrated movie was compared with
film (pinboard) and resulted in a 30% pace, indicating a 30%
difference. We are now researching why these differences
exist, so that the method can be fine tuned. We identified
three potential factors and are currently setting up
experiments to analyse the influence of:
1. Different movement distances,
2. Different video recoding distances,
3. Different type of movements (reaching, moving).
Film (pinboard)

Precalibrated movie

Movement recognition

Adjustable pace
Figure 3 Experiment
Film

V. CONCLUSIONS AND FURTHER RESEARCH

Pace rating
Figure 1 Traditional way

B. Proposed way
Figure 2 shows the proposed way of pace rating that we are
considering in this research. Precalibrated movies and an
actual movie of the work method that is studied are shown at
the same time. By adjusting the speed (and thus the pace) of
the precalibrated movie, industrial engineers or workers
without extensive time study knowledge can synchronize both
movies in order to quantify the actual pace of the method
under study.
Film

In this paper we proposed a modified way of pace rating in

workstations using video analysis. Video technology makes it
possible to simulate any pace based on precalibrated movies
in order to improve visual pace rating.
The next steps in this research involve pace rating
experiments with different of movement distances and
different of video recoding distances.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
First of all, I am especially thankful to my promotor Prof.
dr.ir. Dirk Van Goubergen for the suggestions, his support
and
encouragement.
I
also thank Mr. Frank
Vancauwenberghe of Officeline for his helpful comments.

Precalibrated movie

REFERENCES
[1]
[2]
[3]

Adjustable pace
Pace rating
Figure 2 Proposed way

[4]
[5]

George Kanawaty, Introduction to Work Study 4th Edition,

International Labour Office, 1992.
Benjamen Niebel & Andris Freivalds, Methods standard & work
design 10th Edition, McGraw-hell, 1999.
Gavriel Salvendy, Handbook of Industrial Engineering 3rd Edition,
Wiley,2001.
Fred E. Meyers & James R. Stewart, Motion and Time Study for
Lean Manufacturing 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall, 2002
Harold B. Maynard, G. J. Stegemerten and John L.Schwab, Methods Time
Measurement, McGraw-Hill, 1948.

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