Optimisation of labour productivity using work measurement techniques

Productivity has now become an everyday watch word. The most practical approach is to attack the work process itself that is review the operations, and apply automation and mechanisation. In such cases, a productivity audit employing industrial engineering techniques are used for evaluating the existing manufacturing situation and identify the potential for increased productivity. Maynard Operation Sequence Technique (MOST) is a good work measurement technique that allows greater variety of work (both repetitive and non-repetitive) for manufacturing, engineering to administrative service activities, which needs to be measured quickly with ease and accuracy. This paper demonstrates the application of MOST technique through a case study of process improvement for improving labour productivity at bathroom appliances industry in casting section. The observational MOST study improved the casting process time by 17.69% compared to stopwatch technique. The MOST study is well accepted by the labourers compared to the stopwatch technique during implementation of observational MOST technique.