Performance Improvement

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Performance Improvement

• Learning (Improvement of Performance)
• Reduced Production Time and/or Reduced Errors
• Learning Individual Organizational
• (Manufacturing Progress)

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Learning Curves

• Theory
• As people gain experience performing a task,
• the time it takes to complete the task decreases.
• Specifically,
• as the accumulated number of units doubles,
• the time required to produce a unit declines
• at a constant rate.
• Note Cognitive Learning gt Manual Learning

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Learning Curve Equations

• Hyperbolic Yx KXN
• Logarithmic log Yx log K N log X
• Yx Cumulative Average Time to Produce X Units
• K Time Required to Produce the First Unit
• X Cumulative Total Number of Units Produced
• N Exponent of the Learning Curve Slope (tan
  q)

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Synonyms

• Learning Curve
• Manufacturing Progress Function
• Cost / Quantity Relationship
• Product Acceleration Curve
• Improvement Curve
• Performance Curve
• Experience Curve
• Efficiency Curve

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Typical Productivity Learning Curve
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80 Learning Curve
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Learning Curve

• Slope LC
• - 0.514 70
• - 0.415 75 Assembling
• - 0.322 80
• - 0.234 85 Welding
• - 0.152 90
• - 0.074 95 Machining

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Notes

• LC 2N where N tan q
• New Production Time (Cost) LC x Old
• As total number of production units increases
  and/
• or average production time per unit decreases,
• q (tan q) decreases which implies LC increases.
• Shallow learning curves (higher LC ) means
• relatively limited cost savings.

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Examples

• q Ntan q LC
• 5 -0.087 94
• 10 -0.176 88
• 30 -0.577 67
• 45 -1.000 50
• 60 -1.730 30

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Learning Curve Solutions
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Food for Thought

• Was it Agatha Christies Inspector Poirot or
  maybe
• Dr. Watsons comment to Sherlock Holmes
• we often go more quickly by going more slowly.
• Maxim for Computer-Aided Statistical Analysis
• Garbage In Gospel Out