Work Sampling – Definition, Meaning and Usage

Work-sampling is defined as a technique for determining and predicting the total or the proportion of the time consumed by a specified activity. It is dependent upon the observations that have been made over a while to record the frequency of the events that are being performed and the happenings in that instant.

Meaning of Work Sampling

Work-sampling is described as a tool used by employers to determine the time which an employee spends on a specific activity or task.

Work-sampling is a statistical concept which permits recognition, analysis and enhancement of job responsibilities, organisational workflows, performance competencies and tasks. Some other names of work-sampling are

• Ratio delay study
• Occurrence sampling
• Activity sampling

An essential use of the work-sampling method is predicting the standard time for a manufacturing task conducted manually. It is used in several processes like telemarketing, manufacturing and customer service.

Features

The general characteristics of work-sampling method are as follows-

• It requires sufficient time to complete the study
• It is feasible for the work-sampling method to study multiple workers at a time instead of one single worker or a small group
• The cycle time of work-sampling is generally lengthy
• The work cycle is non-repetitive

Applications

The applications of work-sampling process are as follows-

• Work-sampling enables a fair share of job distribution amongst the workforce
• It is applied to find an estimate about delay times that are unavoidable for deciding about the delay allowances
• The data that is available from the work-sampling method has proved a great help in the process of production planning
• A work-sampling method is a helpful tool for the administration as it helps in evaluating the efficiency levels of the various departments in the organization
• The work-sampling assist the management in an organization to find all the data and information of idle time and its cause
• Work sampling can be applied for the utilization of cranes, machine tools, trucks, etc
• It is used to get an estimate of the percentage of time consumed by various job activities like inspection, repair, and supervision
• Work sampling is a useful tool that is applicable in finding time standards for repair work, office work, maintenance work, etc

Advantages

The advantages of work-sampling are as follows-

• It is possible to interrupt the study related to work-sampling at any given time without any impact on the results of the study
• It is easy to identify and eliminate uneconomical activities through the process of work-sampling
• An organization need not hire any experts to conduct the process of work-sampling as it can be carried out by anyone, even an employee with limited training and knowledge
• A single analyst is enough for group operations
• One of the advantages of work-sampling is that it provides the unbiased result as the workmen are not subjected to close observation
• Work-sampling is less time consuming as well as economical by nature because it is possible to study more than one workforce at the same time.

Moreover, the duration of time taken for the study is only a few hours and this is also the reason why it is less time consuming

• Another benefit of work-sampling is that the observer need not be present himself for the whole process as it automatically records its findings
• It is possible to study teamwork by work-sampling and not by the time study
• An essential advantage of work-sampling is that it helps in reducing the clerical time
• Numerous activities that are costly and cannot be measured by time study can be easily measured by work-sampling
• It is less tedious and does not cause fatigue
• The work sampling process does not need a timing device or a stopwatch

Disadvantages

The disadvantages of work sampling method are as follows-

• Work sampling does not have any provision for small delays or breakdown of activities
• If an organization is interested in work sampling of one employee or small groups of a worker, then the process will not prove economical. It is also not cost-effective for short-cycle jobs
• One of the disadvantages of the work sampling method is that the results are often inaccurate if the observations are insufficient or limited in nature.
• In some cases, the results from work sampling are not accurate because the working men who are being studied may change their usual working method on seeing an observer
• One of the limitations of work sampling method is that it does not record the speed of working of a worker
• Workers and management can’t understand the concept of work sampling as effortlessly as time study

Errors

Several errors may occur during the work sampling process, and it is essential to avoid them. Some common ones are as follows-

• Bias in working samples
• Sampling errors
• Non-representativeness

Work sampling Systems

Work sampling system involves observing the workforce for a sufficient number of times at random intervals. A note is made and recorded after every observation, and this information helps to determine the proportion of time used by the workforce in the defined activities. Work sampling is done to test the ability of a worker and evaluate his performance. The steps involved to make up a work sampling system are as follows –

• The first step in the process of work sampling is to define the problem
• State the main objectives of the problem
• This is the time to describe each element in detail
• Obtain the approval of the workers that are to be studied
• Determine the desired accuracy of the final results in the form of a percentage
• Design the observation form to make the observation and record the data
• Now decide on the preliminary sampling or the number of considerations that should be made
• Determine the random timings that have been chosen for making the observations
• The next step involves making instant observations at every visit irrespective of the fact that the workforce is sitting idle or is working
• It is the time to determine the activity proportion in the works sample with the help of the formula. The formula is

P = Number of times found working/Total number of observations made

• Determine the confidence level that is required for the work sampling
• Find the Z value corresponding to the confidence level
• It is the time to make an interval estimate of the proportion of working of the worker
• Find the data at the end of each day
• Check its precision or accuracy at the end of the study
• Prepare a detailed report and state your findings and the actual result

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