Non production direct workforce work measurement challenges and case study

Abstract

Most of the operations in the production line consist of discrete work activities. With the systemic approach in work measurement methods, setting time standards for the works and deriving the DL (Direct-Labor) workforce requirements are achievable. However, advanced technology has changed the work nature of the operations with increased supporting activities to sustain routine tasks like quality assurance, machine changeover management, trouble-shooting, material replenishing, and administrative works. The combined activities have now become non-discrete, non-routine, non-repeatable in a predictable pattern, and the work process steps are now relatively loosely defined. Workers who perform these works are categorized as unique workforce namely NPDL (Non-Production-Direct-Labor). Setting time standards for NPDL is challenging due to the work nature and the work measurement methods used in this region are mainly stopwatch time study, basic PMTS (Predetermined-Motion-Time-System), and shop floor self-recording systems. Without defining the time standards, the common practice to determine the NPDL workforce is based on past experience or estimated DL: NPDL ratio. This paper discusses case study of using a systemic approach to overcome the difficulties to determine NPDL workforce by defining steps of categorizing the NPDL work activities. The approach also contributes to measure the NPDL productivity objectively with the existing work measurement methods.