7S Learning Curves

Learning Objectives Explain the concept of learning curves Make time estimates based on learning curves List and briefly describe some of the main applications of learning curves Outline some of the cautions and criticisms of learning curves Estimate learning rates from data on job times

Learning Curves Learning curves: the time required to perform a task decreases with increasing repetitions

Learning Effect Figure 7S.1 Time per repetition Number of repetitions

Learning with Improvements Figure 7S.2 Time per unit Time Average Improvements may create a scallop effect in the curve.

Applications of Learning Curves Manpower planning and scheduling Negotiated purchasing Pricing new products Budgeting, purchasing, and inventory planning Capacity Planning

Worker Learning Curves Figure 7S.4 A (underqualified) B (average) C (overqualified) Time/cycles One week Standard time Training time

Cautions and Criticisms Learning rates may differ from organization to organization Projections based on learning curves should be viewed as approximations Estimates based the first unit should be checked for valid times At some point the curve might level off or even tip upward

Cautions and Criticisms Some improvements may be more apparent than real For the most part, the concept does not apply to mass production Learning curves sometimes fail to include carryover effects Life cycles, flex manufacturing can affect application of learning curves