Motion Study, Work Measurement, MRP, and ERP Concepts

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms and definitions from Motion Study, Work Measurement Methods, Material Requirements Planning (MRP), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP).

Motion study

The systematic study of the human motions used to perform an operation, introduced by Frank Gilbreth in the early 20th century to eliminate unnecessary motions and identify the best sequence of motions.

Motion study principles

Guidelines for designing motion-efficient work procedures, categorized into the use of the human body, arrangement of the workplace, and the design of tools and equipment.

Therbligs

Basic elemental motions into which jobs are broken down to analyze and base work method improvements upon.

Search

A therblig that implies hunting for an item.

Select

A therblig defined as choosing from a group of objects.

Grasp

A therblig defined as taking hold of an object.

Hold

A therblig defined as the retention of an object after grasp.

Transport

A therblig defined as the movement of an object after hold.

Release

A therblig defined as depositing an object.

Micromotion study

The use of motion pictures and slow motion to study motions, introduced by Frank Gilbreth along with his wife, Lillian.

Simo chart

A chart used to study simultaneous motions of the hands, useful in studying data entry, sewing, surgical and dental procedures, and certain assembly operations.

Work measurement

The length of time it should take to complete a job.

Standard time

The amount of time it should take a qualified worker to complete a specified task.

Stopwatch time study

A work measurement method introduced by Frederick Winslow Taylor in $1881$ to develop a time standard based on observations of one ($1$) worker taken over a number of cycles.

Observed time

The simple average of recorded times in a time study, calculated as $OT = \frac{\sum x_i}{n}$.

Normal time

The observed time adjusted for worker performance, calculated by multiplying observed time by a performance rating ($NT = OT \times PR$) or on an element-by-element basis ($NT = \sum (\bar{x}_i \times PR_i)$).

Standard elemental times

Time standards derived from a firm's own historical time study data.

Predetermined time standards

Work measurement standards based on published data of standard elemental times collected from large numbers of workers.

Methods-Time Measurement (MTM)

A commonly used predetermined time standard system developed by the Methods Engineering Council that analyzes any manual operation or method into basic motions.

Work sampling

A method of estimating the proportion of time a worker or machine spends on various activities and idle time through brief observations at random intervals.

Ratio-delay studies

A primary use of work sampling designed to determine the percentage of a worker's time that involves unavoidable delays or the proportion of time a machine is idle.

Analysis of nonrepetitive jobs

A primary use of work sampling designed to establish the percentage of time an employee spends doing various tasks.

Material Requirements Planning (MRP)

A system used for planning the production of assembled products, designed to answer 'what is needed?', 'how much is needed?', and 'when is it needed?'.

Master schedule

Also referred to as the master production schedule; an MRP input that states which end items are to be produced, when they are needed, and in what quantities.

Bill of materials

An MRP input containing a listing of all assemblies, parts, components, and raw materials needed to produce one unit of a finished product.

Inventory records

Stored information on the status of each item by time period (called time buckets), including quantities on hand, ordered, and other details.

MRP processing

The process of taking end item requirements specified by the master schedule and 'exploding' them into time-phased requirements for assemblies, parts, and raw materials.

Gross requirements

Total expected demand for an item or raw material.

Scheduled receipts

Open orders scheduled to arrive from vendors or elsewhere in the pipeline.

Projected on hand

Expected amount of inventory that will be on hand at the beginning of a period.

Net requirements

The actual amount of inventory needed.

Planned-order receipts

Quantity expected to be received by the beginning of the period.

Planned-order releases

Planned amount to order in each time period, equal to planned order receipts offset by lead time.

Planned orders

A primary MRP output report indicating a schedule for the amount and timing of future orders.

Order releases

A primary MRP output report that authorizes the execution of planned orders.

Changes to planned orders

A primary MRP output report covering revisions of due dates, order quantities, or cancellations.

Performance-control reports

Secondary MRP reports that evaluate system operation, aid managers by measuring inconsistencies from plans, and provide information to assess cost performance.

Planning reports

Secondary MRP reports useful in forecasting future inventory requirements, such as purchase commitments and other data.

Exception reports

Secondary MRP reports that call attention to major discrepancies such as late and overdue orders, excessive scrap rates, reporting errors, and requirements for nonexistent parts.

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

A computerized system designed to connect all parts of a business organization and supply chain to a single database.

Accounting/Finance Module

Central component of an ERP system that provides a range of financial reports.

Marketing Module

ERP module that supports lead generation, target marketing, mail, and sales.

Human Resources Module

ERP module that maintains a complete database of employee information.

Purchasing Module

ERP module that facilitates vendor selection, price negotiation, purchasing decisions, and payments.

Production Planning Module

ERP module that integrates information on forecasts, orders, production capacity, and related scheduling.

Inventory Management Module

ERP module that identifies inventory requirements, availability, tracking, and replenishment rules.

Distribution Module

ERP module containing information on third-party shippers, shipping, and delivery.

Sales Module

ERP module containing information on customer orders.

Supply Chain Management Module

ERP module that facilitates supplier and customer management.

Customer Relationship Management Module

ERP module containing contact information, buying behavior, shipping preferences, and anything related to customers.