Time and motion study

A time and motion study (or time-motion study) is a business efficiency technique devised by Frederick Winslow Taylor. It is a major part of Scientific management (Taylorism).

The technique was refined by Frank and Lillian Gilbreth (best known through the biographical film and book Cheaper by the Dozen).

A time and motion study would be used to reduce the number of motions in performing a task in order to increase productivity. The best known experiment involved bricklaying. Through carefully scrutinising a bricklayer's job, Frank Gilberth reduced the number of motions in laying a brick from 18 to about 5. Hence the bricklayer both increased productivity and decreased fatigue.

The Gilbreths developed what they called therbligs (an anagram of "Gilbreth"), a classification scheme comprising 17 basic hand motions.