Occupational Skills Programme: Time Study Clerk

SP-220331 | NQF Level: 4 | Credits: 35 | 10 Contact Days | Entry: NQF Level 3 with Mathematical Literacy and Communication, or NQF Level 2 with 5 years’ production experience

Overview

Production targets are only as good as the timing behind them. This credit-bearing programme prepares learners to work as a Work Study Clerk, also known as a Time Study Clerk: conducting capacity checks, production studies and activity sampling by applying basic time study procedures, calculating basic and standard times, and working out the operator and machine requirements that keep a line or system balanced. The QCTO programme document explains that these skills are applied to determine the best method and correct time to complete tasks in the workplace, and can be used to control costs, improve working conditions and motivate employees; work study ‘results in an overall improvement of productivity and supports lean manufacturing and best practices’. The programme document gives it OFO code 242102 and a subtitle naming the clothing, textile, footwear, leather, forestry, wood, and pulp and paper sectors, but its rationale is broader: the role ‘is relevant to various industries and has been used extensively in manufacturing’.

Key Benefits for Your Organisation

• Production targets and standard times built on timed, rated observation of the actual work
• Production units staffed and balanced, with operator and machine requirements calculated rather than assumed
• Interruptions and problem areas identified and measured through production studies and activity sampling
• Work-study findings reported with recommendations for improvement, in support of lean manufacturing and best practice

What the Programme Covers

1. Time Study Principles and Techniques (Knowledge Module 900104-000-00-KM-01, 11 Credits)

• Basic time study principles, the purpose of time study in the workplace and its contribution to productivity
• Rating: estimating an operator’s rating, the rating scale and how rating affects the hourly target
• Using a decimal stopwatch in centi-minutes, time study calculations and conversions, and breaking an operation into machine and handling elements, break points and cycle times
• Ergonomics, allowances (machine, personal and fatigue, raw material and supply), observation and recording, and the time study sheet (minimum cycles and calculations)
• Work supply and work-in-progress levels, machines in the manufacturing process, and basic fault finding, root cause identification and problem solving

2. Conduct Basic Time Studies to Determine Productivity (Practical Module 900104-000-00-PM-01, 6 Credits)

• Capacity checks to determine an operator’s capability, work out targets per operator and estimate when an operation should be completed
• Production studies that time and record every interruption, work out percentages and report on whether the standard is achievable
• Activity sampling to highlight problem areas and calculate the percentage time for each
• Stopwatch time studies that break the method into elements and break points, and checks of standards to highlight problems and manning requirements
• Rating an operator’s rate of work against the 100% rate, to within ±5% accuracy on classroom exercises, and working out the basic time for the operation

3. Time and Method Study Operations (Practical Module 900104-000-00-PM-02, 18 Credits)

• Appraising the machines on the production floor or site: their functions, capabilities and capacities
• Analysing how a product is constructed, the raw materials it needs and the customer requirements that affect it, and drawing a flow diagram of operations from receipt of raw material to delivery of product
• Gathering information on machine operators’ skills and capabilities, and identifying real or potential skills gaps
• Assisting with setting operational targets and manning a production line, and checking levels of performance and whether the correct method is being used
• Compiling daily reports on work-study findings, recommendations and results, and conducting production studies that encourage operators to reach targets

Assessment

Learners are assessed continuously through exercises, tasks, assignments and reports, with written and practical tests covering the knowledge and application topics. Learners who have successfully completed all modules and topics then take a Final Integrated Supervised Assessment (FISA), set, run and moderated by BOTI under QCTO rules: a practical assessment of up to three hours in a simulated work environment, in which the learner prepares and conducts a time study, calculates basic and standard times, completes the time study sheets and presents improvement opportunities, with verbal questioning on the underlying knowledge. Learners are declared Competent or Not Yet Competent, and results are submitted to the QCTO for certification. Learners who complete the programme may accumulate credits towards a relevant full or part qualification.

Entry Requirements

NQF Level 3 with mathematical literacy and communication, or NQF Level 2 with five years’ practical experience in a production environment. Learners may also gain access through recognition of prior learning (RPL for access), and learners who already have the competencies of a module or topic may be exempted from it through RPL, as provided for in the QCTO RPL Policy.

Who Should Attend

Work study and time study clerks who need a formal QCTO credential; experienced production staff moving into work study; and operations and production supervisors who set targets, staff lines and track output. The programme document names clothing, textile and automotive manufacturing, forestry, wood products, and pulp and paper production among the industries that use these skills.

Enquire

Contact BOTI on 011 882 8853 or [email protected] to discuss intake dates and group pricing.