Undertaking Method Studies result in the ability to be able to determine how various manufacturing or business processes are undertaken. These processes can include a particular manufacturing task such as machining of a part on a numerical controlled machine or the method followed in processing customer orders.
Meth Studies identify the various tasks undertaken, the range of staff skills required or even the equipment utilised.
By analysing the tasks undertaken, staff skills required, equipment and the time and sequence of events, a representation of the process can be obtained. This leads to areas where improvements to flows, reduction in time, improvements to equipment utilisation etc.
It should be noted that the Lean Manufacturing/6 Sigma processes replicate the Method Study process of Industrial Engineering. They draw on the concepts of identifying, focusing, quantifying, analysing, improving, organising and achieving improvements in various business processes by re-engineering.