What are the Industrial Engineering Tools for Methods Improvement?

One of the important Industrial Engineering activities is to analyze the Job or Workplace.
This is to be used for quality and productivity improvement specially the workers activity,
working space, materials, machines, jigs and fixtures, tools and other equipment in the
furniture production department. This department includes different basic sections namely:
the parts preparation which has basic and advance machines, sub-assemblies and
assembly section, surface preparation or sanding section, finishing section, final assembly
section and packing section.
In analyzing the Job or workplace, questions should be answered using the following
Industrial tools:
QUESTIONS
IE TOOLS
Task Factors
Refer to
1. What is happening in the department?
How do parts and components flow in and
out?
- Process Flow Chart
2. What kind of motions are involved
- Video Analysis, Principles of Motion
Economy
3. Are there any tools, jigs and fixtures being
used?
- Tool Evaluation Checklist
4. Is the workplace laid out well? Any far
reaching parts or sub-assemblies or
assemblies?
- Workstation Evaluation Checlists
5. Are there awkward finger/wrist motions?
How frequent?
- CTD Risk Index
6. Is there any lifting activity
- NIOSH Lifting Analysis, UM2D Model
7. Is the worker fatigued? Physical Workload
8. Is there any decision making to be decided
by the worker? Mental workload?
- Heart Rate Analysis, Work –rest
Allowances
9. How long in ach cycle? What is the
standard time?
- Time Study, MTM-2 Checklist
Work Environment Factors
Refer to
10. Is the illumination acceptable? Is there
glare?
- IESNA Recommended Values
11. Is the noise level acceptable?
- OSHA Levels
12. Is there heat stress?
- WBGT
13. Is there vibration
- ISO Standards