A Methods and Measurements Analyst Needs to Develop a Time

Essay

A Methods and Measurements Analyst needs to develop a time standard for a certain task. The task involves use of ruler, square, and portable electric saw to mark and cut the "notch" in a rafter (a standard carpentry task of home construction). In a preliminary study, he observed one of his workers perform this task five times. The observations were made in an air-conditioned, well-lighted training facility, at ground level, with all tools and equipment clean and readily available.
$$\begin{array} { | l | l | l | l | l | l | } \hline \text { observation: } & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 5 \\\hline \text { Task time (seconds): } & 82 & 74 & 80 & 83 & 76 \\\hline\end{array}$$ a. What is the actual average time for this task?
b. What is the normal time for this task if the employee worked at a 20% faster pace than is typical for adequately trained workers?
c. What is standard time for this task if allowances are 8% constant and 6% variable?
d. If the analyst then thought more carefully about his experiment, and decided that the variable allowances needed to be increased to match the real (outside, unair-conditioned) work environment, and that the proper variable allowance was not 6% but 12%, what is the revised standard time?