There are various tools involved in the management of work time. It is very important to consider them while managing time. They provide the basis for time management. These are as follows:
This is one of the important tools to be considered while managing work time. For most people activities pile up on each other at certain times of the day or the week or the month or the season. These packed periods are called peak -loads. For example, for a homemaker peak loads can be daily, weekly or seasonal such as the time of breakfast and getting the family off for the day is a daily peak load, the thorough cleaning of the house a periodic peak load and the Diwali or a festival preparation, a seasonal peak load. The peak load may be lessened by delegating some work to other family members or by adopting some work simplification methods. Awareness of the peak load and the methods of handling them is an important tool for managing time. This is even more important for a homemaker who is gainfully employed outside the home.
Work Curves:
The second tool for managing work time is the work curve. A typical work curve has the following features:
Starts sluggishly
Sharp rise as worker gets into stride
Falling off in the middle of the spell with a fresh spurt as work nears its end
Find falling at the last hour
In analysing a hypothetical work curve shown in the figure 31.1 with a lunch break, the preliminary increase, 'a-b' signifies the warming up period known as the 'warming up'. The letter 'b-c' indicate the plateau of greatest steady production 'e-d' shows the first major drop in production. The beneficial effect of the lunch period shown in the following figure
Production starts out at a higher level after lunch than in the morning but never reaches as high as 'b-e' in the morning. The figure shows a decrease in production and that is due to the effect of accumulated fatigue at the end of the day. The worker may stop at, ’ f ’ or continue to' g,' but the production level will decrease from 'f' onwards. The drop from 'e - d' is supposedly due to boredom developing during the job if the work is light. In heavy manual labour the final decrease will probably be very great and it is possible that output may fall to zero if work is continued further to the point of exhaustion.
A most desirable work curve is done in which ab warming up (wu) is (a) steep line showing that worker got into the swing of work rapidly and (b) achieved a high plateau of production -longer the plateau of production, greater the output of work accomplished.
This is the third tool for time management. A rest period need not mean complete cessation from work, although that is desirable after a heavy manual labour. The greatest results can be expected if the worker lies down and relaxes completely, because reclining requires less expenditure of energy than any other body position. As compared to most workers, the homemaker can provide good conditions for rest more easily. A change in the type of work may also serve as rest periods for each other.
Work Simplification:
It is also one of the tools of time management which is related to energy management, as it includes improving methods of work which requires lowering both time and energy expenditures, because the time and energy are required to do any task and they largely depend on the hand and body motions used.
In simple terms, work simplification is the conscious seeking of the simplest, easiest, and quickest method of doing work. Or in other words we can say that work simplification means improvement in performance of task.
It is a very important tool of time management which not only is helpful in an industry but a very useful tool for a homemaker who wants to have a liberal supply of time as well as the need to conserve her energy.
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