Time Studies for Labor Planning

One of the most valuable applications of time studies is creating accurate, data-driven staffing models and labor plans.

How Time Studies Support Labor Planning

  • Determine the actual labor hours required to meet expected volume and service levels.
  • Calculate optimal crew sizes and shift patterns.
  • Model the impact of seasonality, demand variability, or growth.
  • Identify opportunities to reduce overstaffing (excess cost) or understaffing (service failures and overtime).
  • Support “what-if” scenarios for new products, processes, or volume changes.

From Standard Times to Staffing Models

Once standard times are established for key tasks, planners can: - Multiply standard time by expected volume to calculate required labor hours. - Convert labor hours into headcount using available work time per employee (accounting for breaks, meetings, training, etc.). - Build flexible staffing models that adjust to daily or weekly volume fluctuations.

Example Outcome: A study reveals that current staffing provides 80 labor hours per day but the work only requires 65 hours. This insight allows leadership to reallocate 15 hours per day (approximately 1.7 FTEs annually) while maintaining or improving service levels.

Time studies remove guesswork from labor planning and enable organizations to align labor costs more precisely with operational requirements.