Work sampling

How it is used

Useful for long, varied or group work where a stopwatch study is not practical, such as maintenance or office tasks. The analyst records what is happening at random moments, and more observations give a more accurate result. Also called activity sampling.

Example sentences

1. Work sampling over two weeks showed that the forklift drivers were idle 35% of the time.

2. We need about 600 observations for the work sampling to be accurate within 4%.

Common collocations

• work sampling study
• random observations
• activity sampling
• sampling accuracy

Related terms

• work studyThe systematic study of how work is done, using method study and work measurement, to find better methods and set fair time standards.
• time studyA work measurement method in which an analyst times a trained worker doing a task many times, usually with a stopwatch or video, to set a standard time.
• utilizationThe percentage of available time that a machine, person or plant is actually busy working.
• standard timeThe time a trained worker working at a normal pace needs to do a task, including allowances for rest, personal needs and small delays.

More terms: Work Study and Time Measurement

• cycle time
• motion study
• allowance
• performance rating