Operation—Wheelbarrow Excavation. Date, March 10, 189—
| Op. | Time | Av. | No. Shov. | Op. | Time | Av. | No. Shov. | Op. | Time | Av. | No. Shov. | Op. | Time | Av. | |
| Department—Construction | a | 1.37 | 1.37 | 15 | a | 1.12 | 1.12 | 12 | a' | 1.86 | 11 | ||||
| Men—Mike Flaherty | b | 1.56 | 0.19 | b | 1.39 | 0.27 | a' | 1.81 | 13 | ||||||
| c | 1.82 | 0.26 | c | 1.58 | 0.19 | a' | 2.14 | 16 | |||||||
| Materials—Sand requiring no pick | d | 1.97 | 0.15 | d | 1.70 | 0.12 | a' | 1.98 | 14 | ||||||
| Materials—Hard clay in bank | e | 1.97 | 0.15 | e | 1.92 | 0.22 | |||||||||
| Implements—No. 3 shovel; Contractors' wooden wheelbarrow | f | 2.36 | 0.09 | f | 2.36 | 0.09 | |||||||||
| Conditions—Day-work for a contractor. By previous observation | a | 1.24 | 1.24 | 13 | a | 2.05 | 0.13 | 13 | |||||||
| An average barrow load of sand is 2.32 cu. ft. measured in cut | b | 1.36 | 0.12 | b | 1.38 | 0.15 | |||||||||
| An average barrow load of clay is 2.15 cu. ft. measured in cut | c | 1.59 | 0.23 | c | 1.60 | 0.22 | |||||||||
| d | 1.83 | 0.24 | d | 1.78 | 0.18 | ||||||||||
| e | 2.08 | 0.25 | e | 2.05 | 0.27 | ||||||||||
| f | 2.23 | 0.25 | f | 2.23 | 0.18 |
| Time | Complete Operations | Total time min. | Total picking min. | Total shoveling & wheeling min. | Times per barrow min. | Detail Operations | No obs | Times per barrow min. | Time per pc. per shovel min. | No. shovels per barrow min. | Time wheeling 100 ft. min. |
| 7 A.M. | Commenced loading sand | ||||||||||
| 9.02 | 43 loads wheeled to a distance of 50 ft. | 122 | 122 | 2.84 | a—Filling barrow with sand | 4 | 1.240 | 0.094 | 13.2 | ||
| 9.50 | Picking hard clay | 48 | b—Starting | 4 | 0.182 | ||||||
| 11.39 | 29 loads clay wheeled to a distance of 50 ft. | 109 | c—Wheeling full—50 ft. | 4 | 0.225 | 0.450 | |||||
| 11.46 | Picking clay again | 7 | 55 | 1.67 | d—Dumping & turning | 4 | 0.172 | ||||
| 12.01 | 4 loads clay wheeled to a distance of 50 ft. | 15 | 124 | 3.76 | e—Returning empty—50 ft. | 4 | 0.260 | 0.520 | |||
| 301 | f—Dropping barrow & starting to shovel | 4 | 0.162 | ||||||||
| g— | 2.241 | ||||||||||
| h— | |||||||||||
| i— | |||||||||||
| j— | |||||||||||
| k— | |||||||||||
| l— | |||||||||||
| m— | |||||||||||
| a'—Filling barrow with clay | 4 | 1.948 | 0.144 | 3.5 |
Note.—Comparison of "Detail" with "Complete" operations shows that about 27 per cent of the total time was taken in rest and other necessary delays. About the same quantity loose as at the start. Observer: James Monroe.
Here is an account of the effect the result of this time-study and these tests in strength produced on the output and wage of a group of men at the Bethlehem Steel Co., whose work Mr. Taylor reorganized after that of the Midvale Steel Company:—
The opening of the Spanish War found some 80,000 tons of pig-iron piled in small piles in an open field adjoining the Bethlehem Steel Company's works. Prices for pig-iron had been so low that it could not be sold at a profit, and was therefore stored. With the opening of the Spanish War the price of the pig-iron rose, and this large accumulation of iron was sold. The ...steel company's ...pig-iron gang ...consisted of about 75 men ...good average pig-iron handlers, under an excellent foreman ...A railroad switch was run out into the field, right along the edge of the piles of pig-iron. An inclined plane was placed against the side of a car, and each man picked up from his pile a pig of iron weighing about 92 pounds, walked up the inclined plank, and dropped it on the end of the car.
We found that this gang were loading on the average of about 12½ tons per man per day in this manner. We were surprised to find, after studying the matter, that a first-class pig-iron handler ought to handle between 47 and 48 tons per day, instead of 12½ tons, which were being handled.
This task seemed so very large that we were obliged to go over our work several times before we were sure we were absolutely right.... The task which faced us as managers under the modern scientific plan ...was ...to see that the 80,000 tons of pig-iron were loaded on the cars at the rate of 47 tons per man per day in place of 12½ tons.... It was further our duty to see that this work was done without bringing on a strike among the men, without any quarrel with the men, and to see that the men were happier and better contented with loading at the new rate of 47 tons than they were when loading at the old rate of 12½ tons.
The first step was the scientific selection of the workmen.... Under ...scientific management ...it is an inflexible rule to talk to and deal with only one man at a time, since we are not dealing with men in masses, but are trying to develop each individual man to his highest state of efficiency and prosperity. The 75 men in the gang were carefully watched and studied for three or four days, at the end of which time we had picked out four men who were believed to be physically able to handle pig-iron at the rate of 47 tons per day. A careful study was then made of each of these men.... Finally one man was selected from among the four as the most likely man to start with.
This man, who had been receiving $1.15 a day, agreed to follow for $1.85 a day the directions of the time-student, who had determined the proportion and intervals of rest necessary for the regular accomplishment of the task, without overstrain or undue fatigue. The worker started to carry his accustomed load and at regular intervals was told by the time-student, observing the proper period for rest and work with a watch: "Now pick up a pig and walk. Now sit down and rest. Now, walk—now, rest, etc."
He walked when he was told to walk and rested when he was told to rest, and at half past five in the afternoon had his 47½ tons loaded on the car. And he practically never failed to work at this pace and to do the task that was set him during the three years that the writer was at Bethlehem.... Throughout this time, he averaged a little more than $1.85 a day; whereas he had never received more than $1.15 a day, which was the ruling wage at that time in Bethlehem.... One man after another was picked out and trained to handle pig-iron at the rate of 47½ tons a day, until all of the pig-iron was handled at this rate, and all of this gang were receiving sixty per cent more wages than other men around them.
Courtesy of "Industrial Engineering"