Task
Grohe AG, site of Porta Westfalica, commissioned REFA Consulting AG to neutrally measure and evaluate the assembly times of installation systems for dry-wall lining from the perspective of an expert.
The "Grohe Rapid SL" installation system was compared with comparable systems from five competitors based on the installation of a WC element.
The assembly times were determined according to the principles of the REFA methodology which can be applied in all branches of trade, industry, production and administration. The assembly times were recorded by a REFA technician with many years of professional experience.
To ensure the objectivity and neutrality of the results, the work was carried out in the company’s prototype workshop in Porta Westfalica by qualified technicians from an external installation company (not by employees of Grohe AG).
The times for the operations/time modules concerned were measured and evaluated and the data was then collected in a calculation sheet.
The technicians each worked in rotation under otherwise identical conditions. After statistical evaluation, the data obtained is sufficiently accurate for calculation purposes.
Procedure
Nine assembly operations were carried out on the product, in detail:
- Instructing the technicians
- Carrying out trial assemblies
- Measuring the times of 9 assembly operations
- Change of technicians after each assembly cycle.
The Grohe AG website contains further information on the practical test.
Results
Results of the time study in detail
Bettina Dirks
