Calculate Work Steps

You can use the Calculate Work Steps cost model to calculate the process times and costs of workflows that are performed by a worker or are only partially automated.

A detailed schedule helps indicate options for cost-saving measures.

The Work Step Calculator cost model lets you:

  • enter cycle times for work steps in detail
  • manage work steps in the master data
  • reuse work steps you created in the master data or create new ones in the calculations

Procedure

The following example illustrates the process and structure of the Work Step Calculator cost model.

Hint

The black triangle ◣ helps you identify editable values.

The Consistency Rule Violation check is available to you when entering values. The consistency rule violations check notifies when there are missing values and verifies the accuracy of the values entered.

When you hover over one of the consistency rule violations icons with your mouse, a tooltip appears with the specific reason for the consistency rule violations.

Step 1: Create Should Cost Calculation

Further Information ► Create Should Cost Calculation

Step 2: Insert Process

Insert Process

  1. In the Structure view, highlight the project element you wish to insert under the process.
  2. Click Edit ► Insert ► Process in the ribbon.

    A process is inserted in the calculation structure.

  3. Change the label to »Work Steps«.

  4. In the Details ► Calculation view schema, select the valuation Calculate Work Steps .

    Selecting the valuation allows you to insert work steps as global templates or locally.

Note

When changing valuations, the sub-elements are grayed-out and no longer considered in the calculation.

Step 3: Insert Work Steps

A manufacturing process requires a number of individual work steps. FACTON offers you the option of breaking down a process into multiple work steps and performing a detailed cost analysis.

Note

You can insert the work step as a master data using queries (see Insert Global Calculation Element) or insert your own work step locally (see Insert Local Calculation Element).

The latter is shown in the following, because it illustrates the inputs required for calculation.

Insert Work Steps

  1. In the Structure view, select the »Work Step Calculator« process .
  2. In the ribbon, click on Edit ► Insert ► Insert New Local Work Step (Cycle).

    A work step is inserted under the process.

  3. Change the label to »Pick up part«.
  4. In the Details ► Overview view schema (combobox), enter values for the following properties for the work step:
    5. Label Pick up part
    Calculation
    Procedure Duration * 7 TMU
    Repetitions 2 1/cycle
    Technical Data ► Work Step Type Properties
    TMU Work Step Category Basic Movement - Finger, Hand, Arm System » Grasp
    * The procedure duration can be entered in TMU or directly in seconds.

    TMU (Time Measurement Unit) is the term used to refer to the unit of time in MTP process modules.

    One TMU equals 10^-5 hours.

    These values are required in order to calculate the total procedure duration.

  5. Repeat steps 1 through 2 to insert a new work step.
  6. Change the label to »Place part«.
  7. In the Details view, enter a value for the following properties of the work step:
    8. Label Place part
    Calculation
    Procedure Duration * 30 TMU
    Repetitions 2 1/cycle
    Technical Data ► Work Step Type Properties
    TMU Work Step Category Basic Movement - Finger, Hand, Arm System » Position
    * The procedure duration can be entered in TMU or directly in seconds.

    TMU (Time Measurement Unit) is the term used to refer to the unit of time in MTP process modules.

    One TMU equals 10^-5 hours.

    These values are required in order to calculate the total procedure duration.

Properties of a Work Step

The basic properties of the work step can be found in the Details view.

Calculation Group

Procedure Duration

The time needed for performing the procedure.

This value is required.

Direct input is possible.

Repetitions

The number of repetitions of the procedure.

Direct input is possible.

Total Procedure Duration

The time needed for performing the work step including all repetitions.

Is calculated from:

  • Procedure Duration
  • Repetitions

Relevant Quantity

Displays the relevant quantity in s / cycle.

Technical Data Group

The technical descriptions of the work step, such as label and description are shown and managed in this group.

The Work Step Type property is initially defined by »TMU work step«.

Technical Data group ► Work Step Type Properties sub-group

You can assign the work step to a TMU Work Step Category in this technical description subgroup. The categorization of the TMU work step categories is based on the MTM standard time value card.

Note

In the queries for the work steps you can use the TMU Work Step Category and the Key (under Details ► Information) to find the work steps.

 

Step 4: Insert Work Steps

Insert Worker

  1. In the Structure view, select the »Work Step Calculator« process.
  2. In the ribbon, click on Edit ► Insert ► Worker.

    The corresponding labor costs for the worker are determined based on the sector, the reference location, the reference date, and the labor group.

Calculated values of the Work Step Calculator:

The following values are calculated using the data entered and then shown in the Details ► Calculation view schema:

  • Cycle Time
  • Ʃ Measure Values Cycle Time (if a technical measure has been added to the process)
  • Cycle Time including Ʃ Technical Measures (if a technical measure has been added to the process)
  • Cycles per Time
  • Output per Cycle
  • Output per Time
  • Time per Unit Output
  • Absolute Frequency of Occurrence
  • Percentaged Frequency of Occurrence