Motion Study
A Method for Increasing the Efficiency of the Workman

INTRODUCTION xx i Society of Mechanical Engineers, Mr. Gilbreth cornered an old friend of his and explained to him the wonderful results that could be accomplished by motion study. He declared that he did not care what the work was, he would be able to shorten the time usually required, pro- vided that nobody had previously applied the principles of motion study to the work. A few days before, this friend had been at the Japanese- British Exposition and had seen there a girl putting papers on boxes of shoe polish at a wonderful speed. Without saying what he had in mind, Mr. Gilbreth’s friend invited him to visit the exposition, and in a most casual way led him to the stand where the gir] was doing this remarkable work, with the feeling that here at least was an operation which could not be improved upon. No sooner had Mr. Gilbreth spied this phenomenal work than out came his stop watch, and he timed accurately how long it took the girl to do twenty-four boxes. The time was forty seconds. When he had obtained this in- formation he told the girl that she was not doing the work right. She, of course, was greatly incensed that a man from the audience should presume to criticize what she was doing, when she was acknowledged to be the most skillful girl that had ever done that work. He had ob- served that while all her motions were made with great rapidity, about half of them would be unnecessary if she arranged her work a little differently. He has a very per- suasive way, and although the girl was quite irritated by his remark, she consented to listen to his suggestion that he could show her how to do the work more rapidly. In- asmuch as she was on piece work the prospect of larger earnings induced her to try his suggestion. The first