Gilbreth Motion Studies

Summary

Frank and Lillian Gilbreth revolutionized industrial management with their motion studies, which simplified tasks by eliminating unnecessary motions, significantly boosting productivity. Frank's innovative bricklaying techniques exemplified this, increasing efficiency dramatically. Lillian, the first female industrial psychologist with a PhD, advanced the field by focusing on the human element, improving office communication, and advocating for workplace safety and ergonomics, continuing their legacy after Frank's death.

Takeaways

• 🧑‍🔧 Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were pioneers in motion study, which simplified work by eliminating unnecessary and repetitive motions.
• 🏗️ Frank Gilbreth's early career as a bricklayer influenced his interest in motion study, leading to significant productivity improvements in bricklaying.
• 🔧 He designed a stand to raise bricks to waist height, reducing the need for bending and improving efficiency.
• 💡 The Gilbreths used motion picture films, a new technology at the time, to analyze and time workers' motions with precision.
• 🕒 Frank invented the micrometer, a clock that could record time up to 1/2 one thousandth of a second, to better analyze motion studies.
• 📈 Motion study typically resulted in production increases of 25 to 300%, demonstrating its effectiveness in improving productivity.
• 🕒 Taylor's approach to simplifying work focused on time study rather than motion, aiming to determine a fair day's work and standardize it.
• 👩‍🎓 Lillian Gilbreth was a trailblazer, being the first woman to receive a PhD in industrial psychology and joining prestigious engineering societies.
• 🔑 After Frank's death in 1924, Lillian continued their management consulting work, emphasizing the human side of work.
• 🛠 Lillian contributed to industrial psychology by developing methods to improve office communication, incentive programs, job satisfaction, and management training.
• 🏛 Her advocacy led to government laws on workplace safety, ergonomics, and child labor, reflecting her concern for worker well-being.

Q & A

Who is the husband-and-wife team mentioned in the script known for?

Frank and Lillian Gilbreth are best known for their use of motion studies to simplify work and their significant contributions to the employment of disabled workers and the field of industrial psychology.

What is motion study and how did it impact the efficiency of bricklayers?

Motion study is the process of breaking each task down into its separate motions and eliminating those that are unnecessary or repetitive. Frank Gilbreth applied this to bricklaying, which increased productivity from 120 to 350 bricks per hour and from 1,000 bricks per day to 2,700 bricks per day.

What innovative tool did Frank Gilbreth invent to better analyze jobs with motion picture films?

Frank Gilbreth invented the micrometer, a large clock that could record time up to 1/2 one thousandth of a second, to help analyze jobs with motion picture films more accurately.

How did the Gilbreths use the micrometer to improve motion study?

The Gilbreths used the micrometer by placing it next to the worker in the camera's field of vision and attaching a flashing strobe light to the worker's hand to better identify the direction and sequence of key movements, allowing them to detect and precisely time even the slightest, fastest movements.

What was the typical production increase achieved through motion study according to the script?

Motion study typically resulted in production increases of 25 to 300%.

How did Taylor's approach to simplifying work differ from the Gilbreths'?

Taylor's approach focused on managing time rather than motion, using time study to determine what could be considered a fair day's work and establish a standard time for tasks, which affected workers' pay based on their performance relative to the standard.

What significant achievements did Lillian Gilbreth attain in her career?

Lillian Gilbreth was the first woman to receive a PhD in industrial psychology, the first woman to become a member of the Society of Industrial Engineers, and a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

What contributions did Lillian Gilbreth make to industrial psychology?

Lillian Gilbreth contributed to industrial psychology by originating ways to improve office communication, incentive programs, job satisfaction, and management training. She also influenced the government to enact laws regarding workplace safety, ergonomics, and child labor.

How did Lillian Gilbreth continue the work of the Gilbreths' management consulting company after Frank's death?

After Frank's death in 1924, Lillian continued the work of their management consulting company, which they had shared for over a dozen years, focusing on the human side of work.

What was Frank Gilbreth's view on the greatest waste in the world?

Frank Gilbreth believed that the greatest waste in the world comes from needless, ill-directed, and ineffective motions.

What was the impact of the Gilbreths' work on the field of management?

The Gilbreths' work had a profound impact on the field of management by introducing motion study to simplify work, improve productivity, and reduce the level of effort required to safely perform a job, as well as contributing to the development of industrial psychology and workplace laws.

Outlines

00:00

🛠️ The Gilbreths and Their Contribution to Motion Study

Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, a husband-and-wife team, are renowned for their pioneering work in motion studies to streamline work processes. Their work extended beyond just efficiency, making notable contributions to employing disabled workers and advancing industrial psychology. Frank's early experiences as an apprentice bricklayer led him to innovate by simplifying the bricklaying process, increasing productivity significantly. These innovations laid the groundwork for their lifelong dedication to motion study, aimed at improving productivity and reducing unnecessary effort in tasks.

🎥 The Development of Motion Study Techniques

The Gilbreths developed motion study by breaking tasks into individual motions and eliminating redundant ones. They used motion picture films, a novel technology at the time, to analyze and time these motions with precision. Frank Gilbreth invented the micrometer and used a flashing strobe light to capture even the smallest, quickest movements. This method led to significant productivity increases, often between 25% and 300%. Unlike Taylor's time study, which focused on managing time, the Gilbreths concentrated on optimizing motion to enhance efficiency.

📏 Comparing Motion Study with Taylor's Time Study

While the Gilbreths focused on motion study to improve efficiency, Frederick Taylor used time study to achieve similar goals. Taylor's approach involved timing the tasks of a 'first-class' worker to establish a standard time, which was then used to adjust workers' pay based on their performance relative to that standard. This method aimed to counteract 'soldiering' and ensure a fair day's work. Both methods, although different in approach, sought to simplify work and increase productivity in industrial settings.

👩‍🔬 Lillian Gilbreth's Legacy in Industrial Psychology

Lillian Gilbreth made significant contributions to management and industrial psychology, independent of her husband. As the first woman to earn a PhD in industrial psychology, she broke new ground in a male-dominated field. After Frank's death in 1924, Lillian continued their consulting work and focused on the human aspect of work. She pioneered methods to improve office communication, incentive programs, job satisfaction, and management training. Her efforts also influenced government legislation on workplace safety, ergonomics, and child labor, cementing her legacy as a key figure in industrial psychology.

Keywords

💡Motion Studies

Motion studies refer to the systematic observation and analysis of human movements in performing tasks. In the context of the video, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth are renowned for applying motion studies to simplify work processes, making them more efficient by eliminating unnecessary or repetitive motions. For example, Frank Gilbreth's work with bricklayers demonstrated how redesigning the stand to waist height reduced the need for bending, thus streamlining the bricklaying process.

💡Productivity

Productivity is a measure of the efficiency of production, indicating how much output is generated per unit of input. The video highlights how the Gilbreths' motion studies increased productivity significantly, such as raising bricklaying output from 120 to 350 bricks per hour, showcasing the direct impact of their work on improving efficiency in the workplace.

💡Industrial Psychology

Industrial psychology is the application of psychological principles to the workplace, focusing on issues like worker satisfaction, motivation, and organizational behavior. Lillian Gilbreth is noted as a pioneer in this field, with her work emphasizing the human element in management, such as improving office communication and job satisfaction, which is a key theme in the video.

💡Management Consulting

Management consulting involves providing professional services to organizations to improve their performance. After Frank's death in 1924, Lillian continued their management consulting work, which was a significant part of their contribution to simplifying work and improving productivity, as mentioned in the video.

💡Micrometer

The micrometer, as invented by Frank Gilbreth, is a large clock designed to record time with extreme precision, up to 1/2000th of a second. It was used in conjunction with motion picture films to analyze jobs, allowing the Gilbreths to detect and time even the fastest and smallest movements, which is a critical tool mentioned in the video for their motion studies.

💡Time Study

Time study is a method used to determine the time required to complete a task by observing and measuring the time taken by a worker. The video contrasts this approach with motion study, explaining that while the Gilbreths focused on motion, Taylor focused on time study to establish standard times for tasks and to address issues like 'soldiering' in the workplace.

💡Standard Time

Standard time is the predetermined time it should take to complete a task under normal conditions, including rest periods. The video describes how Taylor used time study to establish standard times, which served as a benchmark for worker performance and affected their pay based on whether they met or exceeded these standards.

💡Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the study of designing equipment and devices to fit the human body and its movements comfortably, thereby reducing fatigue and potential injuries. Lillian Gilbreth's work in this area, as mentioned in the video, led to government laws regarding workplace safety and ergonomics, emphasizing the importance of human factors in work design.

💡Incentive Programs

Incentive programs are systems designed to motivate employees by offering rewards for achieving certain goals or performance levels. The video notes Lillian Gilbreth's contributions to the development of such programs, which were aimed at improving job satisfaction and productivity.

💡Workplace Safety

Workplace safety refers to the protection of workers from potential hazards in the working environment to prevent accidents and injuries. The video highlights Lillian Gilbreth's influence on the creation of laws regarding workplace safety, reflecting her concern for the human side of work and the video's theme of improving work conditions.

💡Child Labor

Child labor involves the employment of children in work situations, often under exploitative conditions. The video mentions that Lillian Gilbreth's work contributed to the enactment of laws addressing child labor, showing her advocacy for ethical work practices and the protection of vulnerable workers.

Highlights

Frank and Lillian Gilbreth are renowned for their use of motion studies to streamline work processes.

Their work also significantly contributed to the employment of disabled workers and the field of industrial psychology.

Frank Gilbreth's early career as a bricklayer influenced his interest in motion study and efficiency in task performance.

Gilbreth identified three distinct sets of motions used by bricklayers and sought to eliminate unnecessary ones.

He designed a waist-high stand to reduce the need for bending, improving bricklaying efficiency.

Gilbreth's innovations increased productivity from 120 to 350 bricks per hour.

Lillian and Frank Gilbreth developed a long-term interest in motion study to simplify work and reduce effort.

Frank Gilbreth believed that the greatest waste comes from ineffective and misdirected motions.

The Gilbreths used motion picture films and invented the micrometer to analyze and time workers' movements precisely.

Motion study typically resulted in production increases of 25 to 300%.

Taylor's time study differed from the Gilbreths' motion study by focusing on managing time rather than motion.

Lillian Gilbreth was a pioneering figure in industrial psychology and the first woman to receive a PhD in the field.

She was also the first woman to join the Society of Industrial Engineers and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

After Frank's death in 1924, Lillian continued their management consulting work, focusing on the human side of work.

Lillian contributed to industrial psychology by developing methods to improve office communication and job satisfaction.

Her work led to government laws on workplace safety, ergonomics, and child labor.

Transcripts

[Music]

the husband-and-wife team of Frank and

Lillian Gilbreth are best known for

their use of motion studies to simplify

work but they also made significant

contributions to the employment of

disabled workers and to the field of

industrial psychology like Taylor their

early experiences significantly shaped

their interests and contributions to

management motion study is breaking each

task down into its separate motions and

then eliminating those that are

unnecessary or repetitive though

admitted to MIT

Frank Gilbreth began his career as an

apprentice bricklayer while learning the

trade he noticed that bricklayers

used three different sets of motions one

to teach others how to lay bricks a

second to work at a slow pace and a

third to work at a fast pace wondering

which was best he studied the various

approaches and began eliminating

unnecessary motions for example by

designing the stand that could be raised

to waist height he eliminated the need

to bend over to pick up each brick

turning to grab a brick was faster and

easier than bending down by having lower

paid workers place all the bricks with

their most attractive side up

bricklayers didn't waste time turning a

brick over to find it by mixing a more

consistent mortar bricklayers no longer

had to tap each brick numerous times to

put it in the right position together

gilbreth's improvement raised

productivity from 120 to 350 bricks per

hour and from 1,000 bricks per day to

2,700 bricks per day as a result of his

experience with brick laying Gilbreth

and his wife Lillian developed a

long-term interest in using motion study

to simplify work improve productivity

and reduce the level of effort required

to safely perform a job indeed Frank

Gilbreth said the greatest waste in the

world comes from needless ill directed

and ineffective motions

motion study broke down each task or job

into separate motions and then

eliminated those that were unnecessary

or repetitive because many motions were

completed very quickly the gilbreth's

used motion picture films then a

relatively new technology to analyze

jobs most film cameras at the time were

hand cranked in this variable in their

film speed so Frank invented the

micrometer a large clock that could

record time up to 1/2 one thousandth of

a second by placing the micrometer next

to the worker in the cameras field of

vision and attaching a flashing strobe

light to the workers hand to better

identify the direction and sequence of

key movements the gilbreth's could use

the film to detect and precisely time

even the slightest fastest movements

motion study typically ulid production

increases of 25 to 300% taylor also

strove to simplify work but he did so by

managing time rather than motion as the

gilbreth's did taylor developed time

study to put an end to soldiering and to

determine what could be considered a

fair day's work time study worked by

timing how long it took a first class

man to complete each part of his job a

standard time was established after

allowing for rest periods a workers pay

would increase or decrease depending on

whether the worker exceeded or fell

below that standard Lillian Gilbreth was

an important contributor to management

in her own right she was the first woman

to receive a PhD in industrial

psychology as well as the first woman to

become a member of the Society of

industrial engineers and the American

Society of Mechanical Engineers when

Frank died in 1924 she continued the

work of their management consulting

company which they shared for over a

dozen years Lillian who is concerned

with the human side of work was one of

the first contributors to industrial

psychology originating ways to improve

office communication incentive programs

job satisfaction and management training

her

work also convinced the government to

enact laws regarding workplace safety

ergonomics and child labor

[Music]