The Process chart is a step-by-step description of a worker performing a given task in its entirety. It is an over-all investigation and differs from an ordinary description of a worker’s activities only in that a few symbols are used to clarify the steps immediately into types. Gross, Crandall and Knoll have adapted some of these symbols from industry in the preparation of a process chart.
The small circle indicates that the worker is going somewhere; the large circle indicates that she is standing still but working with her hands; the square indicates that she is checking what she has done; the triangle indicates that nothing is happening; the composite symbol indicates that she is accomplishing something with her hands while walking. Thus, in charting the setting of a table, each time the worker walks is indicated with the small circle. When her hands alone are working the large circle is used. When she stands still but for example looks over her job to see if it is completed, the square is used. It can be distinguished from delay by the movement or focus of the eyes. The advantage of using the symbols along with the description is that one may quickly count up the number of each type of steps. A composite symbol counts as two activities when summarizing.
It requires at least two persons to make a process chart, one to do the task, and at least one other to observe and record. The time is relatively unimportant, as the focus is upon the flow of work. The chart helps to visualize the sequence of an activity. For home tasks, the worker is followed throughout and the chart may be called a process chart- man analysis. In industrial process charts, sometimes a product, not a given worker is followed, but only the person or the thing can be charted at one time not both
It is customary, in this method of research to perform and chart the same task in an original and then in a revised way. The count of symbols after the original way often indicates at a glance where improvement may be made. An example of a portion of a process chart is given in figure 47.2 Looking toward improvement; one would immediately question four changes of place and two delays in only twelve steps, and attempt to eliminate some or all of them. Some delays are avoidable and some are not.
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