Techniques of Scientific Management

 Taylor has developed various scientific techniques by conducting various experiments at his workplace.

The following Scientific techniques are described as follows:

1)- Functional Foremanship:

• In this technique Taylor suggested the division of factories in two departments: Planning departments and production departments so that workers must be free from the burden of planning and they could concentrate more on their assigned work and production.
• To develop specialization in the productivity under each department there must be functional experts to supervise, guide and instruct the workers.
• As one foreman cannot be an expert in every aspect of work so there should be a minimum of eight specialists or functional experts to supervise and to give order to workers.
• Functional foremanship is an extension of the principle of division of work and specialization to the shop floor.
• Each worker will have to take orders from these eight foremen in the related process or function of production.
• Foremen should have intelligence, education, tact, grit, judgment, special knowledge, manual dexterity, and energy, honesty and good health.
• Since all these qualities could not be found in a single person, Taylor proposed eight specialists. Each specialist is to be assigned work according to her/his qualities.

For example, those with technical mastery, intelligence and grit may be given planning work. Those with energy and good health may be assigned execution work.  

Under the planning incharge, there are four personnel: 

a)- Route clerk- He is responsible to specify the route of production.

b)- Instruction card- clerk He is responsible to give instructions to the workers.

c)- Time and cost clerk- He is responsible for preparing time and cost sheets.

d)- Disciplinarian- He is responsible to maintain discipline among workers.

Under the production incharge, there are four personnel:

a)- Speed boss- He is responsible for timely completion of job.

b)- Gang-boss- He is responsible for keeping machines and tools ready for work.

c)- Repair boss- He is responsible to keep machines and tools in proper working condition.

d)- Inspector- He is responsible for maintaining the quality of work.

2)- Standardization and Simplification of Work:

• Scientific methods should be used to analyze methods of production prevalent under the rule of thumb.
• Scientific management always emphasizes on maintaining standards relating to every step of business operations.
• Standardization of output is maintained right from selection of tools, equipment and machine to use, maximizing the output by keeping in mind the quality standards.
• The best practices can be kept and further refined to develop a standard which should be followed throughout the organization.
• This can be done through work-study techniques which include time study, motion study, fatigue study and method study.
• Even the contemporary techniques of business process including reengineering, kaizen (continuous improvement) and benchmarking are aimed at standardising the work.
• Standardisation refers to the process of setting standards for every business activity; it can be standardisation of process, raw material, time, product, machinery, methods or working conditions.
• These standards are the benchmarks, which must be adhered to during production.
• The objectives of standardisation are:
1. To reduce a given line or product to fixed types, sizes and characteristics.
2. To establish interchangeability of manufactured parts and products.
3. To establish standards of excellence and quality in materials.
4.  To establish standards of performance of men and machines.
• Simplification aims at eliminating superfluous varieties, sizes and dimensions while standardisation implies devising new varieties instead of the existing ones. 
• Simplification aims at eliminating unnecessary diversity of products. It results in savings of cost of labour, machines and tools.
• It implies reduced inventories, fuller utilisation of equipment and increasing turnover. 
• Most large companies like Nokia, Toyota and Microsoft etc. have successfully implemented standardization and simplification.

3)- Method Study:

• The objective of method study is to find out one best way of doing the job. There are various methods of doing the job.
• To determine the best way there are several parameters.
• Right from procurement of raw materials till the final product is delivered to the customer every activity is part of method study.
• The objective of the whole exercise is to minimise the cost of production and maximise the quality and satisfaction of the customer. For this purpose many techniques like process charts and operations research etc. are used.
• Ford Motor Company used this concept very successfully.

4)- Motion Study:

• Motion study refers to the study of movements like lifting, putting objects, sitting and changing positions etc., which are undertaken while doing a typical job.
• Unnecessary movements are sought to be eliminated so that it takes less time to complete the job efficiently.
• Taylor demonstrated that productivity increased to about four times by this process. 
• On close examination of body motions, for example, it is possible to find out:
1. Motions which are productive
2. Motions which are incidental (e.g., going to stores)
3.  Motions which are unproductive.
• Taylor used stopwatches and various symbols and colours to identify different motions.
• Through motion studies, Taylor was able to design suitable equipment and tools to educate workers on their use. The results achieved by him were truly remarkable.

5)- Time Study:

• It determines the standard time taken to perform a well-defined job.
• Time measuring devices are used for each element of the task.
•  The standard time is fixed for the whole of the task by taking several readings. 
• The method of time study will depend upon volume and frequency of the task, the cycle time of the operation and time measurement costs.
• The objective of time study is to determine the number of workers to be employed; frame suitable incentive schemes and determine labour costs.
• The  technique of time study is conducted to determine or objectives of time study are:
1. The standard time required to perform a job.
2. Setting up the standard target for workers.
3. Determine the number of workers required to perform a job.
4. Categorizing the workers in efficient and inefficient categories.

6)- Fatigue Study:

• A person is bound to feel tired physically and mentally if she/he does not rest while working.
• The rest intervals will help one to regain stamina and work again with the same capacity.
• This will result in increased productivity. 
• Fatigue study seeks to determine the amount and frequency of rest intervals in completing a task.
• This technique of  scientific  management  is conducted to find out:
1. The frequency of rest intervals.
2. The duration of rest intervals.
3. The number of rest intervals.
   

7)- Differential Piece Wage System:

• This technique focuses on dividing workers into efficient and inefficient workers.
• Then it emphasizes paying differential rates of wages to efficient and inefficient workers. In other words, different rates of wage payment for those who performed above standard and for those who performed below standard.
• The technique  of differential wage rate system insist on:
1. Paying differential rate of wages to efficient and inefficient workers.
2. Extra wages paid to efficient workers will motivate them to remain efficient and to inefficient workers to come into the category of efficient workers.
• Hence, when production is made according to the number of units produced automatically the production will be maximized.
• For Example, If standard production is fixed at 10 units per day and rates are fixed as follows: Wages rate below standard output : Rs.20 per unit Wages rate above standard output : Rs.50 per unit If a worker 'A' produces 12 units then he will get Rs.600 (12 unit x Rs.50 per unit). If another worker 'B' produces 9 units, then he will get Rs.180 (9 units x Rs.20 per unit). According to Taylor, this difference in wages will motivate the workers to become efficient and earn more.