Industrial Time Study with Software: How to Choose the Perfect Tool for Your Methods Study
How to apply Work Sampling in concrete precast plants: VA/NVA taxonomy, sample size formulas, discontinuous flow peculiarities, applicable UNE-EN standards, and practical cases.
By the Worksamp engineering team
Introduction: The Daily Challenge of the Industrial Engineer on the Plant Floor
If you are an industrial engineer, you know the scene well. You are on the plant floor, stopwatch in one hand, time-study worksheet in the other, and the operator working next to you while you try to break down every movement into measurable elements. You have done this with paper and pencil, with a calculator, with a spreadsheet on your laptop. You know that every second wrongly recorded translates into incorrect production standards, distorted costs, and management decisions based on defective data.
Industrial time study β or time study β is one of the fundamental tools of the methods and time engineer. It does not matter if you work in manufacturing, logistics, services, or process industry: at some point you need to measure how long a task takes to establish a reliable work standard. The question is no longer whether you should do it, but with what tool to do it in the most precise, efficient, and professional way.
In this article we will analyze the real options you have today as an engineer to perform industrial time study with software support. We will compare specific approaches: the Excel spreadsheet, the TimerPro desktop software, the generic time-tracking applications, and Cronometras as a specialized tool for time studies. We will not talk about fictitious solutions or tools that do not exist; everything we mention here is verifiable and usable in real industry.
The goal is that by the end of reading, you have a clear map of technical capabilities and can make an informed decision about which tool best fits your context, budget, and level of methodological demand.
First: What Does a Professional Industrial Time Study Actually Involve?
Before comparing tools, it is important to remember that a serious industrial time study is not simply "measuring how long someone takes to do something." The process has a methodological structure that every methods engineer knows:
1. Elemental decomposition. The task is divided into clearly defined work elements. Each element must have a recognizable start point and end point (the so-called breakpoints). For example, in an assembly operation, the elements might be: pick up part A, position in fixture, insert screw, tighten with tool, visually inspect. A good time study requires that each element be timed individually, not just the complete cycle.
2. Multiple observation cycles. A single cycle is not statistically valid. Between 5 and 20 observations (or more, depending on variability) are needed to obtain representative times. Each complete cycle contains all the elements, and each element is measured with precision.
3. Operator classification and performance adjustment. The operator does not always work at the "normal" rate defined by the standard. The engineer must classify their performance on a scale (typically from 80% to 120%) and adjust the observed time to obtain the normal time.
4. Allowance calculation. Normal time is not standard time. Allowances must be added for fatigue, unavoidable delays, personal needs, and working conditions. These allowances are expressed as percentages of normal time or available time, and their calculation can follow different methodologies (ILO, MTM, or those established by the company).
5. Statistical analysis. It is necessary to determine the optimal number of observations, calculate standard deviations, coefficients of variation, and sometimes confidence intervals to validate whether the sample is sufficient.
6. Report and standard generation. The final result is a technical document: the complete time-study sheet with elemental times, normal times, allowances, and the standard time per unit of product.
Any time-study tool that claims to be professional must cover, at least partially, these points. Let's see how the real available options do it.
Option 1: Microsoft Excel β The Classic That Never Dies
Why Do So Many People Still Use It?
Let's be honest: most industrial engineers in Latin America and a good part of the world have done their first time study in Excel. And there are reasons for it. Excel is available on practically all corporate computers in the world, it does not require additional software investment, and any engineer with intermediate knowledge can build a functional template.
Technical Capabilities
Elemental decomposition: Excel handles decomposition without issues from a data registration perspective. You can create columns for each element, rows for each cycle, and record elemental times with the precision you want. The flexibility of the spreadsheet allows adapting the template to any type of operation.
Calculations and formulas: This is where Excel shines. You can implement formulas to calculate normal times, apply classification factors, sum percentage allowances, and generate standard times. If you know how to use functions like AVERAGE, STDEV, LARGE, and conditional functions, you can build a fairly robust calculation model.
Basic statistical analysis: Excel offers data analysis tools, distribution charts, and allows calculating the required number of observations using the standard formula: n = (Z Γ S / A Γ XΜ)Β². You can also do variance analysis and hypothesis tests if you install the analysis tool.
Real Limitations in the Industrial Context
However, Excel has serious limitations that any experienced engineer has suffered firsthand:
It is not a time-study tool. Excel does not have an integrated stopwatch. You have to use a separate clock (or your phone's stopwatch) and transcribe the times manually. Each transcription is an opportunity for error. In a noisy plant, with an operator working at real speed, writing times in a notebook and then typing them into Excel is a process prone to failure.
It does not handle real time well. Manual transcription accuracy typically loses tenths of a second, which in short cycles can represent significant errors. If the real cycle is 12.3 seconds and you transcribe 12.0, you have a 2.4% error in that cycle alone.
It does not generate standardized time-study templates. There is no professional time-study sheet with the fields that the standard or the company requires. You have to build it yourself, and each engineer builds theirs differently.
It does not have specific offline functionality for the plant floor. Excel can work without internet, yes, but its interface is not designed to be used on the plant floor with one hand, while observing the operator with the other.
Risk of formula errors. I have seen templates where an engineer changes the number of columns and 40 formulas break. Maintainability is low if robust structures are not designed.
Verdict for Excel: It is a calculation tool, not a time-study tool. Use it for post-capture analysis if that is what you have available, but it is not a professional solution for the complete time-study process.
Option 2: TimerPro β The Specialized Desktop Software
What Is TimerPro?
TimerPro is a desktop software developed by QuikTrak Software, designed specifically for industrial time studies. It is one of the best-known tools in the world of methods and time engineering, and has been on the market for decades. It runs on Windows and is aimed at industrial engineers, productivity analysts, and manufacturing consultants.
Technical Capabilities
Elemental decomposition: TimerPro is built around the concept of elemental decomposition. You can define elements with their breakpoints, assign codes, and structure the study in the way the methods engineering methodology requires. The interface is designed so that the engineer can register elements in real time while observing the operation.
Integrated time study: Unlike Excel, TimerPro includes an integrated stopwatch. You can time each element directly in the software, marking the start and end of each. This eliminates manual transcription and significantly reduces registration errors.
Calculation of normal and standard times: The software automatically calculates normal times by applying the operator classification factor, and generates standard times with configurable allowances. You can define different categories of allowances (fatigue, personal delays, etc.) and apply them consistently.
Statistical analysis: TimerPro includes relevant statistical analysis functions for time studies: standard deviation calculation, coefficient of variation, and can help determine if the number of observations is sufficient. It also allows identifying outliers and excluding them from the analysis if necessary.
Reports: Generates time-study reports with the standard industry format: complete study sheet with all elements, observed times, normal times, allowances, and final standard time. The reports are professional and can be printed directly.
Real Limitations
Platform and availability: TimerPro is a desktop software for Windows. If your company uses Macs or Linux, it is not a direct option. You need to install it on each computer where you will use it.
Learning curve: Being a complete tool with many functions, there is an initial learning curve. An experienced engineer masters it in a few days, but it is not something you open and know how to use instantly.
Desktop licensing model: Requires per-workstation licensing, which can be a factor if you have several engineers who need simultaneous access.
Limited portability on the plant floor: Being desktop software, its use on the plant floor depends on carrying a laptop. It is not the most agile tool for moving between production stations on a large manufacturing floor.
Verdict for TimerPro: It is a legitimate and recognized tool for time studies. If your work is mainly done from an office or if you have dedicated laptops on the plant floor, it is a solid option. It has the technical capabilities that a methods engineer needs.
Option 3: Generic Time-Tracking Applications (Toggl, Clockify, and Similar)
The Mirage of the "Modern Solution"
Time-tracking applications like Toggl Track, Clockify, Harvest, and others have become popular in the corporate world. They are attractive: modern interfaces, free in their basic versions, available on mobile and web, and easy to use. The temptation to use them for industrial time study is real.
Technical Capabilities β And Where They Fall Short
Elemental decomposition: These applications allow creating "projects" and "tasks" with categories, which superficially resembles an elemental decomposition. However, they are not designed for elemental time study of industrial time studies. They do not handle the structure of a time study with multiple cycles, elements per cycle, and operator classification.
Time study: Yes, they have a stopwatch. But the model is "start a task, stop, switch to another." It is not designed for marking the start and end of elements in a continuous cycle operation. In an industrial time study, the elements chain without pause between them, and you need a stopwatch that responds instantly to your markings.
Calculations: They do not calculate normal times, do not handle operator classification factors, do not calculate allowances. If you want a standard time, you have to export the data and do the calculations elsewhere (in Excel?).
Statistical analysis: Practically non-existent for the purposes of a time study. They do not calculate number of observations, do not do elemental time distribution analysis, do not identify outliers automatically.
Data format: These applications are designed to track work hours per project (how many hours you worked on Project A today), not to time manufacturing cycles of 45 seconds with 8 elements each.
When Could They Be Useful?
If you are doing high-level work sampling and need to record how an operator's time is distributed among broad activities (production, maintenance, waiting, etc.) during full shifts, these applications can be useful as an auxiliary tool. But they absolutely do not substitute an elemental time study.
Verdict for generic apps: They are not industrial time-study tools. They are time-tracking tools for project management. Using them for time studies is like using a metric ruler to measure the flow of a river: technically you can measure something, but it is not the metric you need.
Option 4: Cronometras β The Modern Specialized Tool
What Is Cronometras?
Cronometras is a digital tool developed specifically for industrial time study and time studies. It is designed by and for industrial engineers, and directly addresses the methodological needs of the time-study process we described at the beginning of this article.
Detailed Technical Capabilities
Elemental decomposition with optimized interface: Cronometras allows defining the work elements of an operation with their clear start and end points. The interface is designed so that the engineer can register elements in real time in an agile way, with quick markings that do not interrupt the observation of the operation. Each element is recorded with precision, eliminating manual transcription and associated errors.
Precision time study: The integrated stopwatch is optimized for the type of capture needed in a time study: quick and chained markings between elements, without unnecessary pauses. This is fundamental when you are timing operations with short cycles where every tenth of a second counts.
Calculation of normal times and allowances: Cronometras automatically calculates normal times once you enter the operator classification factor. Allowances can be configured according to the methodology your company uses: whether ILO classification (basic fatigue, environment, posture), or the specific percentages established by your company. Standard time calculation is generated automatically and consistently.
Integrated statistical analysis: Here is where Cronometras differs from simpler options. The tool calculates descriptive statistics of elemental times: mean, standard deviation, coefficient of variation. It allows you to evaluate whether your sample has enough observations to be representative. You can identify atypical cycles that could distort the result and decide whether to exclude them. This is not a methodological luxury; it is a requirement for the time study to be technically valid.
Professional time-study reports: Cronometras generates the time-study sheet with all the elements an industrial engineer expects to see: study identification, operator, task, classification, number of cycles, elemental times per cycle, average times, normal times, allowances, and final standard time. The format is consistent and professional, ready for engineering documentation.
Operation without connectivity dependency: One of the most relevant capabilities for plant use. Cronometras can operate without internet connection during data capture. This is critical in industrial environments where Wi-Fi connectivity may be non-existent, unstable, or simply unwanted due to company security policies. You can do your time study at any production station, without worrying about signal.
Designed for the engineer's experience on the plant floor: The interface is designed to be used with one hand while observing the operation with the other. The marking buttons are large and accessible. The design considers that you are standing on the plant floor, with noise, with an operator working next to you, and need a tool that does not distract you from the object of study.
Strategic Advantage: The Connection with Work Sampling
For engineers who work with both time studies and work sampling, Cronometras offers a methodological coherence advantage. The philosophy of Worksamp and Cronometras are aligned: both tools seek that productivity data is captured rigorously, that calculations are automatic and correct, and that reports are professional. When you need to do work sampling to determine an operator's time distribution and then do a time study to establish the standard of a specific task, having both tools in the same ecosystem makes practical sense.
Verdict for Cronometras: It is the tool designed to do what you are trying to do. If your need is to conduct industrial time studies with correct methodology, with precise data, and with professional reports, Cronometras covers the technical capabilities you need from beginning to end of the process.
Technical Comparison Summary
| Capability | Excel | TimerPro | Generic Apps | Cronometras |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated stopwatch for elements | No | Yes | Limited | Yes, optimized |
| Elemental decomposition | Manual | Yes | No | Yes |
| Operator classification | Manual formula | Integrated | No | Integrated |
| Allowance calculation | Manual formulas | Configurable | No | Configurable |
| Automatic standard time | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Statistical analysis | Limited | Yes | No | Yes |
| Time-study sheet report | Own template | Professional | No | Professional |
| Offline operation on plant floor | Yes (but interface not optimized) | Depends on laptop | Yes (mobile app) | Yes, optimized |
| Designed for plant floor use | No | No | No | Yes |
| Learning curve | Low (if you know Excel) | Medium | Low | Low |
How to Decide? A Decision Framework for the Industrial Engineer
The choice of tool depends on your specific context. Here is a framework to decide:
Use Excel if: You already have functional templates, your study volume is low (1-2 per year), you do not need standardized reports, and the investment in specialized software is not approved. But be aware of the methodological limitations.
Consider TimerPro if: You need a complete and proven desktop solution, you work mainly from the computer, and your company can license software of this category. It is a legitimate tool with decades of use in industry.
Do not use generic tracking apps for elemental time studies. They are not designed for this and will give you a false sense of professionalism.
Consider Cronometras if: You need a modern, specialized tool that covers the entire time-study process from capture on the plant floor to the final report, with integrated statistical analysis and offline operation. It is particularly relevant if you also work with work sampling and seek methodological coherence.
Conclusion: The Right Tool Frees the Engineer to Think
At the end of the day, the time-study tool is that: a tool. The real value is in the engineer who uses it, in their judgment to break down the operation correctly, in their criterion to classify operator performance, in their experience to interpret statistical data and make decisions.
But a good tool frees the engineer from mechanical and error-prone tasks βtranscribing times, building formulas, formatting reportsβ and allows them to focus on what really matters: understanding the operation, identifying waste, proposing improvements, and establishing standards that boost the organization's productivity.
Industrial time study with adequate software is not a luxury. It is an investment in the quality of the information that supports all engineering decisions made afterwards. And in a world where manufacturing becomes increasingly competitive and data-driven, the difference between a time study done with improvised tools and one done with specialized tools translates directly into the reliability of your standards and the credibility of your work as an engineer.
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