A workplace analysis technique that measures how long a task takes and the physical steps involved, used to set fair productivity standards.
- Category
- HR Operations & Systems
- Legal status
- Governed by Indian law
- Relevant to
- HR operations & admins
- Reading time
- 3 min
What is Time and Motion Study?
Originating in manufacturing, a time and motion study breaks a job into its component actions, times each one, and identifies unnecessary movement or delay. HR and operations teams use the findings to set realistic performance benchmarks, redesign inefficient workflows, and calculate fair piece-rate or incentive pay for production and warehouse roles.
Key takeaways
- 1Originating in manufacturing, a time and motion study breaks a job into its component actions, times each one, and identifies unnecessary movement or delay.
- 2HR and operations teams use the findings to set realistic performance benchmarks, redesign inefficient workflows, and calculate fair piece-rate or incentive pay for production and warehouse roles.
Why Time and Motion Study matters
Without it, productivity targets are often guessed rather than measured, leading to either unrealistic expectations or under-utilized capacity on the shop floor.
How Time and Motion Study works in practice
- 1
Map the process
Document how Time and Motion Study works today, who owns each step and where the handoffs are.
- 2
Centralise data
Bring Time and Motion Study into one system so records are not scattered across files and inboxes.
- 3
Automate the routine
Use workflows, approvals and reminders to remove manual follow-ups around Time and Motion Study.
- 4
Measure & refine
Track turnaround, errors and employee satisfaction to keep improving Time and Motion Study.
Real-world example
A warehouse runs a time and motion study on order picking and finds that repositioning shelving cuts average pick time by 20%, which then resets the daily incentive target.
Indian statutory reference
Referenced indirectly under the Factories Act, 1948 for standard working conditions and workload assessment.
Rates, limits and state rules change often. Confirm against the latest notification or with your compliance advisor.
Best practices and common mistakes
Best practices
- Keep one employee master as the source of truth for Time and Motion Study.
- Use role-based access so sensitive data stays protected.
- Automate approvals, reminders and document generation.
- Back up and audit-log changes to employee records.
- Review process metrics monthly.
Common mistakes
- Managing Time and Motion Study across disconnected spreadsheets and tools.
- Giving too many people edit access to employee data.
- Not versioning documents and policies.
- Automating a broken process instead of fixing it first.
Managing Time and Motion Study in SleetHR
SleetHR brings Time and Motion Study into a single HRMS with workflows, role-based access and audit trails, so HR spends less time chasing and more time deciding.