Issue link: https://industrialengineer.epubxp.com/i/920036
44 ISE Magazine | www.iise.org/ISEmagazine There's a method to this engineering thing Broadly speaking, methods study can be defined as a sys- tematic study, recording and critical examination of how people, systems and organi- zations do things in order to make improvements. This definition can be applied to any process in manu- facturing, services or other sectors. It is a technique of subjecting each step of a process to close and critical analysis and identifying unnecessary or nonvalue- added activities or parts of the process that do not contribute to making a product or service. This is the removal of things that a customer does not want to pay for but that do add to the cost. It is the essence of industrial and systems engineering. In a typical manufacturing process, the cost structure for a product includes materials that total between 60 percent or 70 percent of the cost. The processing cost, which includes labor and subcon- tracting, totals between 15 percent and 20 percent. The remaining costs come from overhead. As it is difficult to re- duce the cost of materials, industrial and systems engineers often focus on pro- cesses in order to improve and contain costs in the long run. This is an even more advantageous strategy in organiza- tions that have labor-intensive processes. The art of elimination and simplification Industrial and systems engineers have various approaches to improve processes. For example, we can eliminate a step in a process, if possible. This will elimi- nate all elements and equipment used in the step or process. This should be the first focus, as it produces the best results. Not only does it eliminate the cost of the step, it eliminates the possibility that the step could introduce an error into the process. Management could combine steps, tools, jigs and fixtures to enable simul- taneous processing and minimize any handling involved in the process. The jigs/fixtures used should be combined if possible to minimize the number used in a process. Likewise, rearranging steps or processes can eliminate redundant steps or elements of a process. After elimination, ISEs should look to simplify the steps of a process. Sim- plification involves establishing and standardizing the new process. For op- timal performance, standard operating procedures should cover tools, work- place or line layout, materials and tools arrangement and the sequence of work performed. Jigs and fixtures also help in process improvements by eliminating handling and holding. This is especially true in assembly processes, as jigs and fixtures help workers locate parts for easy instal- lation, which minimizes quality errors. This will improve processes and reduce fatigue in assembly. Holding and locat- ing fixtures in assembly are good ap- proaches to designing and improving processes. While fancy and exotic automated machines might keep the mass media transfixed, ISEs know that low-cost au- tomation holds much appeal for process improvement. Inexpensive solutions include semiautomatic devices that can be pneumatic or hydraulic to transfer manual parts of work to a machine in a process. General principles of methods engineering The general principles of methods im- provements should include principles of ergonomics. This includes how workers use their hands and fingers. Visually examining how workers work can help you mini- mize fatigue by minimizing awkward postures during assembly. Industrial and systems engineers should try to mini- mize how often their workers bend or use force to assemble components. This can involve the way that parts and tools are presented at their workstations, how materials flow and how the process is visually controlled. Balanced work con- tent is always better than unbalanced. The sequence of presentation should follow assembly process requirements. One-piece flow can minimize works- in-process and buffers. Consider ways to minimize noise, fumes and other harmful aspects of in- dustrial production. Proper lighting and illumination can minimize eye strain. The proper approach to a methods improvements project involves a num- ber of steps, from the first (selection) to the last (sustainment). ISEs should select a process that af- fects issues like quality or throughput or product changes, parts of the process that have the potential to reduce costs significantly or that are consuming a lot of resources in terms of manpower and time. Poor facility layout could be forc- ing your workers to spend a lot of time handling material, resulting in employ- ees and materials that move around too much, wasting time. These principles should help you define boundaries for the project. Document the current process. Pro- cess charts, flow process charts, spaghetti charts, time study, load balance charts, two-hand process charts, workplace lay- outs, outputs and other details can be used to detail what your workers are do- ing. This helps you visually understand the current process and its potential for improvements. The documentation also helps you ex- amine the process. Any process involves a set of activities that can be categorized as productive or value-adding, like as- sembling components/machining, ver- sus nonproductive or nonvalue-adding activities like setting up processes, get- ting things ready or putting things away. Each activity should be reviewed in terms of purpose, place, sequence, per- son and tools/equipment with a ques- tioning mind. Ask where is it being done, why is it being done, what is be- ing done, what else can be done, what else should be done and how it should be done. These "5W's + 1H" questions should be asked for each item you are examining for improvement. B