MULTIPLE ACTIVITY and

MATERIAL HANDLING
STUDIES
Rodger Koppa, P.E., Ph.D.
Industrial and Systems
Engineering
Multiple Activity Study
Definition
Multiple Activity Study is the creation of a
description that brings together the
contributions of more than one operator
and/or equipment to complete a task,
often linked by a common timeline.
Multiple Activity Chart
A chart on which the activities of more than
one subject (worker, machine, or item of
equipment) are each recorded on a
common time scale to show their
interrelationship.

Introduction to Work Study (4th Ed) G. Kanawaty

(Ed) International Labour Office, Geneva, Switzerland 1992
Comments on Multiple Activity
Charting
 Can have both workers and
equipment on same timeline
 Use shading or crosshatching to
discriminate “productive” from
“unproductive” time
 Times are observed from video
recordings, actual observation (time
each component separately during
cycle)
 SWAG for preliminary analysis
Task Description vs Task Analysis
 Task description is systematic
identification or recording of
operations (including times) at a level
adequate for purpose at hand
 Task Analysis fulfills the purpose of:
 Job description
 Task improvement
 Workplace layout
 Training
 Standards for cost and/or wage setting
Microtask Description
 Two-handed Process Chart
 Activities of worker’s hands or limbs
recorded in their relationship to each other
 Use same symbols as in macro charts:
 Operation O

 Temporary Storage D

 Transport →

 Hold (“storage”) ▼
Example of Microtask
Description
Comments on 2-handed Process
Charts
Leave space for sketch/photo of layout
Chart one hand at a time
Video recording almost a must unless you
can have worker repeat many times
Record actions on same line only when
the occur at same time
 Operational Sequence
Diagraming
• Multiple workers and/or equipment
• Uses standard process chart symbols
• Can be written along vertical timeline
(sequence and approximate time
period)
 Pictorial Variant
• Operational Sequence Diagrams may
use pictorial elements
• Purpose may be to present ideas to
higher management not familiar with
process chart conventions
• Works well for tasks that cover a lot
of territory with multiple people and
equipment
Material Handling (Travel)
Studies
 Worker/Material Handling
 Movement of workers and/or
materials around the work area
 Two approaches
 String Diagram
 Travel Chart
 String Diagram
 Scaled layout of work area
 Each worker or piece of material gets
its own diagram or color thread (3 or
less)
 Pins and threads (or computer
analog)
 Multiple cycles or other specified
period of operation
 Each translation from one station to
Example of String Diagram
Study
 Comments on String
Diagrams
 Compelling graphic
 Complicated operations can make
the diagram a rat’s nest
 Time-consuming to construct
 Use Travel Charting when many
movements and complex paths are
encountered
Travel Charting
 A tabular record for presenting quantitative
data about movement of workers, material,
and equipment between stations over a
given period of time
 Matrix is always square, FROM along top
and TO along side
 Each column and row is assigned to a
station – 6 stations would require 6 x 6
matrix
 Accompanied by layout sketch showing
spatial relationship of stations
Travel Chart Procedure
 Use data sheet to record movements
 Square for each from-to movement
 Tallies for each time that movement
happens
 Fill in chart with √ or just l for each
movement
 Get marginal totals
 Compare FROM and TO marginal
totals
Travel Chart Analysis
 Rank order stations from busiest to
least busy
 High-ranked stations should be close
to each other to minimize travel times
 On example, 2,5,9 highest frequency
FROM or TO
 Busiest route 5-2-9
 cell frequencies (5-2) = 5; (2-9)=6
 Weighted Travel Chart
 Same concept as plain travel chart
 Translations weighted by
 weight or volume carried (quantity)
 Total recorded in cells of chart
 Rank order by marginal quantity
 High loads between stations mean
short distances, conveyor belts,
crane, etc.
 Resources
Resources for this lecture include:
Kanawaty, G. (Ed) Inroduction to Work
Study (4th Ed.) Geneva: International
Labour Office 1992
Groover, M.P. Work Systems and the
Methods, measurement, and
Management of Work Pearson-
Prentice Hall 2007