Fatigue study

by Frank B. Gilbreth; Lillian Moller Gilbreth

Making the Survey Serviceable.

Such photographs form an important element in making the survey serviceable. The survey is an admirable record to use after improvements have been made, to show exactly what the trend of progress has been. It is, however, most important, as furnishing the working data from which the actual improvements are made immediately. To be serviceable, then, the survey must do certain things:

1. It must make it possible for any one studying it actually to realize existing conditions. It is apparent what a help the photographs are in thus visualizing the problem.

2. It must emphasize those conditions that require immediate and great improvement. These can be shown most plainly by photographs, but it must be remembered that a photograph without a proper written explanation often means but a small portion of what it should to a man who has not himself seen the conditions.

3. It must be in such form that it can be easily followed or studied. This will be assured if the plan has been properly made, and if the plan outlined has been consistently followed.

The observations should be grouped. The groups should be put under appropriate headings. The order should be excellent. It will help greatly if partial and final summaries are included.

The amateur will do best to put all of his recommendations for changes at the close of the survey. Such recommendations should certainly be included. The survey maker should note the improvements that occur to him while making the survey. This he may do on the regular survey blank, but when writing up the survey, he should put his suggested improvements in a separate place, for the following reasons: His suggestions may be good, but may be only a few of possible suggestions. Reading them with the survey may prevent the reader from thinking out suggestions of his own. Again, the suggestions, while good, may be obvious, in which case the reader might consider the entire survey a record of obvious facts, which, therefore, is of little value; in which case, while it is well to record them, it is seldom advisable to include them in the body of the survey. The reader may lose interest because of the suggestions, and may fail to realize the value of the record itself.

Another means of making the survey serviceable is to pay strict attention to the style. This should be the extreme of simplicity and clearness. Use short, familiar, and necessary words. Use short sentences requiring no punctuation except the period. In fact, wherever possible, use a printed form, and write in the fewest possible words that can include a simple, definite, and complete description. Wherever possible, make the survey so interesting that it will hold the attention without effort. This has been done, and can always be done. Photographs, especially stereoscopic photographs, are of great assistance; so are charts, or graphs, illustrating the results of the observation; and tables that will show facts, recapitulations, and tendencies, at a glance.

The data of the survey may be written up by the survey maker, if he is clever at such work; if he is not, it had better be written up by some one to whom he explains it, and who is naturally a clever writer.

The survey in proper form can be used as a force to arouse interest in fatigue elimination throughout the entire organization. It must be put in the most attractive form possible. As an illustration of the possibilities in making dry material interesting, study the farmers’ bulletins used by the national government and various State governments, especially the bulletins of Kansas and Wisconsin.

It is a courageous organization that would consent to making its original fatigue survey public. However, the survey should certainly be in the hands of every member of the organization who desires to see it. It will be recognized that the survey is the starting point for making improvements in the elimination of unnecessary fatigue. Too little is often done to take the workers into the confidence of the management. The fatigue survey might well act as a starting point in this direction; therefore, if not the entire survey, it is certain the examples worthy to be copied should be freely circulated. The efficiently, specially-clothed worker, the excellent arrangement of tools, the best arranged work place,—photographs and descriptions of these might be posted to excellent advantage.

After all, the real aim of the survey is to be serviceable. It will be most serviceable when it is used by the greatest number of individuals, and it will be chiefly serviceable in that it stimulates them to do something definite to improve conditions. It must suggest what is to be done, and where it is to be done. As to when the improvements are to be made, there are certain things that can be done immediately,—as soon as existing conditions are understood. Our next task is to show what these are, in order that the stimulated organization may expend its energy for the greatest amount of permanent good to the greatest number.