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Time & Motion Study; Your Questions Answered

Time & Motion Study; Your Questions Answered

10th September 24

With so many questions out there surrounding time and motion studies, our productivity experts are here to answer some of the most common.

What is the definition of a time and motion study?

A time and motion study is defined as a procedure which measures the time taken for individual tasks and processes that are regularly carried out within a workplace. The time element of the study identifies specifically how long each task takes, and the motion side of the study highlights what physical activity is involved.

What is the purpose of a time and motion study?

To measure the time taken and movement involved in each stage of a process, such as till interactions, stock management and food production. Using time and motion expertise, this can then be benchmarked and reviewed for improvements, to speed up, simplify or eliminate the task.

What’s an example of a time and motion study?

Say you operate a warehouse and your team picks thousands of items for onward shipping a day. If you know it takes 30 seconds to pick an item, you can accurately plan the hours needed on a shift to match the day’s workload.

Time & Motion Study; Your Questions Answered

Or if you are a retailer, and a time and motion study of your till operation shows that refunds and exchange approvals add a lot of extra time, you can review your process and accurately calculate the benefits of making a change to help create your business case.

If there is a colleague completing a process, there is an opportunity to deploy a time and motion study.

What are the benefits of a time and motion study?

  • Creates a precise task time for workload planning and costing
  • Optimises colleague numbers to ensure you have the right number for your workload
  • Identifies steps of a process which can be sped up or eliminated
  • Helps optimise colleague hours to ensure you have the right number for your workload
  • All these then help to save you money

How do you do a time and motion study?

In the past, a time and motion study was conducted using a stopwatch and clipboard – the person would observe every movement and make notes of every step, producing piles of data.

At ReThink, we have evolved this method and included technology in our process to make things much more efficient. When visiting your business, our experts use their years of knowledge and experience to meticulously detail how long it takes for individual tasks to be carried out. ReThink’s expert observations and data insights surface practical suggestions that will help improve both time and efficiency.

More resources on time & motion studies

Our goal is to make a difference and provide value. We don’t just collect data and hand over a complicated spreadsheet of hard-to-understand numbers. We convert it into usable, interesting information which helps discover opportunities, develop insights and deliver better decisions for positive change.

If you would like our productivity experts to carry out a time and motion study for your business, or to find out more, contact our team.