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Work Sampling

Can provide information about men
and machines in less time and
lower cost.

It has three main uses:
1. Activity and delay sampling
To measure the activities and
delays of workers and machines.
2. Performance sampling
To measure working time and
performance index of a person on
a manual task.
3. Work measurement
To establish a time standard for a
manual task.
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How many observations?

The percentage number of observations
recording idle state (worker or machine)
is a reliable measure of the percentage
time that the operation is in the delay
state.

The accuracy increases as the number of
observations is increased.

Work sampling in its simplest form:
1. Make observations of one or more
operators or machines at random
intervals.

2. Note if they are working or idle.

3. Give a tally mark under "working" if the
operator or machine is working and give a
tally mark under "idle" if the operator or
machine is idle.

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4. Obtain the ratio of number of idle tally
marks to the total number of idle and
working tally marks to calculate the
percentage of the day that the worker or
machine is idle.


Three methods could be used to obtain
the sample size:
1. The formula for determining the sample
size for a confidence level of 95% (2
sigma) is:

Where S = desired relative accuracy
p = percentage expressed as a decimal
(percentage occurrence of an activity or delay
being measured using a trial study)
N = number of random observations (sample size)
2. Using the alignment chart .
3. Using tables.
ns observatio of number Total
ns observatio idle of Number
Percentage Idle
N
p p
Sp
) 1 (
2

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After the start of the work sampling, it is
advisable to recalculate the sample size
based on the current results (calculate p
based on the current results for idle and
working). This will better evaluate the
progress of the study and the resulting
sample size might be lower which will save
time and cost.
Recalculation is advised at regular intervals
(perhaps at the end of each day).

How can we determine whether the results
are within the desired accuracy after the study
is completed?
This can be done in two ways:
1.First obtain percentage occurrence of an
activity or delay (p) using the results for
the number of idle and working
observations and then use the above
formula to calculate S instead of N
(which is already known).
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2. Using tables (see table 57).

The resulting accuracy should be compared
to the desired accuracy.
The result will be satisfactory if the resulting
accuracy value is lower than the desired
accuracy.
If the resulting accuracy value is higher
than the desired accuracy value, then N
should be recalculated and work sampling
should be continued.

What is the true accuracy value?
The resulting accuracy value will help us to
obtain the upper and lower value for the
delay or working percentage with a 95%
confidence level.

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Example:
After a work sampling study of a machine, the
results showed that the percentage time the
machine was idle was 35% (p=.35, idle
observations=1400, and total number of
observations=4000).

The accuracy was determined using the
above formula and was 4.3% (S = 0.043).
Multiply the value for S into the p value to get
the upper and lower value for the accuracy
(4.3% X 35% = 1.5%) and then add and
subtract the resulting value to the percentage
idle time to get the upper and lower value for
the delay (1.5+35 and 351.5). In this case,
the true value was between 36.5% and
33.5%. This means that we are 95% confident
(we are using 2 sigma) that the percentage
idle time will be between 33.5% and 36.5%.

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Control Charts

Control charts in work sampling studies
enable the analyst to plot the daily results. If a
plotted point falls outside the control limits,
this is likely to indicate that some unusual or
abnormal condition may have been present
during that part of the study.
In control charts, 3 sigma is usually used in
determining the upper and lower control
limits. This means that there are only three
chances in 1000 that a point will fall outside
the limits due to a chance cause. It can be
safely assumed that when a point falls outside
the limits, there is a reason for it.
The formula for determining the control limits
for p is:


Where n= number of daily observations= total number
of observations/number of days studied.
n
p p
p p
) 1 (
3 for limits Control


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See figure 246 as an example.
Alignment charts could also be used to
determine the upper and lower control limits
for p. See figure 247 as an example.

Use of Random Number Tables
Work sampling requires the observations to
be random, unbiased, and independent.
To ensure that the sample is random,
random numbers tables are used.
The table will help to determine the time of
day that an observation should be made.
It may also show the order in which the
operators should be observed, or the specific
location in the department or plant where a
reading should be taken.
See tables 61 and 62.

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Performance Sampling
Performance sampling is simply assigning a
rating of the operator's performance or speed
for each working observation. The rating (in
percent) is recorded on the observation sheet
the same as in making a time study. Each
working observation will have its own
performance rating. The performance ratings
are then added up and divided by the total
number of working observations to represent
the average performance of the observed
operator for the period covered by the study.


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Continuous Performance Sampling
To have a control on labor cost, time
standards for specific operations could be
established (by the use of motion and time
study techniques such as MTM systems) and
then a count of the number of units finished
each day could be obtained. The actual
results could be compared to time standards
to obtain a performance index for a worker or
department. This method is widely used and
is very effective in many situations. But
sometimes much work could not be measured
directly, the cycles may be long and varied,
methods may not be standardized, and it is
often difficult to obtain a count of the units of
completed work. In these situations, some
control of labor cost could be achieved by the
use of work sampling. Continuous
performance sampling can be performed by
making observations of all workers in a
department at random during the entire week
or month and computing the results for this
period.
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The process could be repeated week after
week to provide management with
information related to the work force such
as:
1. Percentage of time working.
2. Percentage of time out of department.
3. Percentage of time idle.
4. Average performance index while working.
5. Labor effectiveness (item 1 x item 4).



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Productivity Sampling
Performance sampling could be used to
improve productivity. Boeing has used
performance sampling to improve productivity
for many years and at the present time their
program called "Productivity Sampling"
covers more than 3000 people in 120 shops.
The company uses productivity sampling to
increase productivity and reduce costs in the
shops. Areas in need of improvements are
pinpointed and specific problems are
revealed by the use of productivity sampling.
See figure 250 and pages 434 and 435
(Motion and time study design and
measurement of work by Barnes) for more
details of the Boeing program.
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Work Sampling in Non-manufacturing
Activities
Work sampling is used in non-manufacturing
environments such as banks,
restaurants, hospitals and department
stores to determine daily and hourly
personnel requirements and for cost
control. Large companies usually make
work sampling studies of the activities of
personnel in many departments.

Determining Time Standards by Work
Sampling
In short-cycle repetitive work situations;
time study, standard data, or
predetermined time data such as MTM
systems are usually preferred for
establishing time standards. But long-
cycle operations and group work could
benefit more from work sampling studies
in determining time standards.
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The steps for determining standard time using
work sampling are as follows:
1. Obtain the percentage of the day that the
operator is working.
2. Determine the average performance index
for the operator during the working portion.
3. Determine the total working time during
the day of the study.
4. Determine the number of finished pieces
during the day of the study.
5. Multiply items 1, 2 and 3 together.
6. Divide item 5 by item 4.
7. Add the allowances.

See figure 251 as an example.
Work sampling could also be used to
obtain the time standard of a group of
operators performing a manual assembly
task. See figures 252 and 253 as an
example.