CRONOMETRAS Blog

Articles about productivity, time studies, and industrial management

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Industrial Productivity Consulting: The Cronometras Approach to Operational Excellence

Industrial Time Study

Industrial Productivity Consulting: The Cronometras Approach to Operational Excellence

In a saturated market, standard management consulting often stays at the KPI and Powerpoint level. The Cronometras approach is different: we descend to the shop floor physics.

Jan 21, 2026 Read more →
Standard Time Audit: How to Detect and Correct Obsolescence in Production Master Data

Industrial Time Study

Standard Time Audit: How to Detect and Correct Obsolescence in Production Master Data

In modern process engineering, an alarming paradox exists: industrial plants invest massive capital in digitalization (Industry 4.0, IoT, Digital Twins), but feed these systems with obsolete data.

Jan 20, 2026 Read more →
String Diagram as a Methods Engineering Tool: Flow Optimization and Digital Evolution

Industrial Time Study

String Diagram as a Methods Engineering Tool: Flow Optimization and Digital Evolution

In contemporary process engineering, precision in work measurement is the boundary between a profitable plant and one saturated with hidden inefficiencies. The String Diagram remains a fundamental pillar.

Jan 19, 2026 Read more →
Introduction to Predetermined Time Systems (MTM and MOST): Advanced Methodologies

Industrial Time Study

Introduction to Predetermined Time Systems (MTM and MOST): Advanced Methodologies

In the universe of work measurement, the stopwatch is a reactive tool. To reach the next level of efficiency, Industry 4.0 demands predictive methodologies.

Jan 16, 2026 Read more →
Technical Design of Plant Data Collection Templates: From ILO Standards to 2025 Digitalization

Industrial Time Study

Technical Design of Plant Data Collection Templates: From ILO Standards to 2025 Digitalization

In modern process engineering, 'data collection' has ceased to be a mere administrative exercise to become the critical input for MES systems and standard cost calculation.

Jan 15, 2026 Read more →
Timing of Frequency Elements: The Challenge of Variability in Methods Engineering

Industrial Time Study

Timing of Frequency Elements: The Challenge of Variability in Methods Engineering

In modern methods engineering, measuring repetitive cyclic elements has become a commodity. The real productivity gap lies in the 'Gray Zone': those elements that do not occur in every cycle.

Jan 14, 2026 Read more →
The New Paradigm of Industrial Time Study in 2025: OHS and Productivity

Industrial Time Study

The New Paradigm of Industrial Time Study in 2025: OHS and Productivity

Methods and time engineering faces a critical turning point in 2025. The convergence between climate change and stricter OHS regulations has transformed the calculation of relaxation allowances.

Jan 13, 2026 Read more →
Productivity in Robotic Welding: Mastering Synchronization between Methods Engineering and Automation

Industrial Time Study

Productivity in Robotic Welding: Mastering Synchronization between Methods Engineering and Automation

In the current metal-mechanic and automotive scenario, the acquisition of a robotic cell (MIG/MAG, TIG, or Laser) is often perceived as the 'holy grail' of productivity.

Jan 11, 2026 Read more →
Specialized Technique #17: Industrial Video Analysis and Forensic Time Audit (The End of the Classic Stopwatch)

Industrial Time Study

Specialized Technique #17: Industrial Video Analysis and Forensic Time Audit (The End of the Classic Stopwatch)

Technical analysis on the transition from in-situ timing to forensic video analysis (Technique #17). Impact on MTM, Spanish 2025 regulatory compliance, and 40% reduction in engineering time.

Jan 11, 2026 Read more →
Specialized Technique #18: Mastering Interference Calculation in Textile Multi-Machine Assignment

Industrial Time Study

Specialized Technique #18: Mastering Interference Calculation in Textile Multi-Machine Assignment

In advanced methods engineering, we define interference not as simple dead time, but as a critical stochastic variable determining profitability boundaries.

Jan 11, 2026 Read more →
Ashcroft Tables: The Exact Mathematics to Maximize Machine Assignment (MMS) and Justify Workload

Industrial Time Study

Ashcroft Tables: The Exact Mathematics to Maximize Machine Assignment (MMS) and Justify Workload

In the Industry 5.0 era, where demand variability and mass customization drastically reduce Cycle Times, intuitive machine assignment calculation is no longer valid.

Jan 8, 2026 Read more →
Multiple Man-Machine Chart: Interference Calculation, ISO 10075 Standard and Stochastic Optimization (Technical Guide 2025)

Industrial Time Study

Multiple Man-Machine Chart: Interference Calculation, ISO 10075 Standard and Stochastic Optimization (Technical Guide 2025)

If your engineering department still calculates machine assignment based on the classic deterministic model, your production standards are likely overestimated.

Jan 6, 2026 Read more →
Specialized Technique #14: Timing, OEE and Productivity in Chemical and Continuous Processes (Technical Guide 2025)

Industrial Time Study

Specialized Technique #14: Timing, OEE and Productivity in Chemical and Continuous Processes (Technical Guide 2025)

How is productivity measured when the manufacturing cycle lasts 4 hours and the operator seems to be 'inactive' in front of a control panel?

Jan 4, 2026 Read more →
Impact of Ergonomics on Cycle Times: From Variable Fatigue to Maximized OEE (Horizon 2025)

Industrial Time Study

Impact of Ergonomics on Cycle Times: From Variable Fatigue to Maximized OEE (Horizon 2025)

In modern methods engineering, ergonomics has ceased to be a peripheral discipline of prevention (OHS) to become a critical mathematical vector of productivity.

Jan 3, 2026 Read more →
MOST System (Basic MOST): The Measurement Technique Removing Stopwatch Subjectivity in Industry

Industrial Time Study

MOST System (Basic MOST): The Measurement Technique Removing Stopwatch Subjectivity in Industry

The Spanish manufacturing industry faces a 2025 scenario marked by double pressure: relentless pressure on operating margins and an increasingly strict labor regulatory framework.

Jan 3, 2026 Read more →
Specialized Technique #13: Therblig Analysis to Master Productivity in Fine Assembly (Scenario 2025)

Industrial Time Study

Specialized Technique #13: Therblig Analysis to Master Productivity in Fine Assembly (Scenario 2025)

In an industrial ecosystem where machinery OEE has been optimized to near technical limits, residual variability and efficiency losses hide almost exclusively in the human factor.

Jan 3, 2026 Read more →
SMED: Changeover Time Reduction – OEE Optimization via Methods Engineering and MTM

Industrial Time Study

SMED: Changeover Time Reduction – OEE Optimization via Methods Engineering and MTM

SMED (Single Minute Exchange of Die) has traditionally been misinterpreted as a simple workshop dynamic or a generic 'Lean' tool for order and cleanliness.

Jan 3, 2026 Read more →
Time Engineering in Logistics and Picking: Beyond the Stopwatch with MTM and MOST Methods

Industrial Time Study

Time Engineering in Logistics and Picking: Beyond the Stopwatch with MTM and MOST Methods

In Distribution Center (DC) management, intuition is an unacceptable financial risk. When the Picking and Order Preparation subsector represents 55-65% of total OPEX.

Jan 3, 2026 Read more →
Work Sampling: Analyst's Guide to Statistical Precision and Process Optimization (ILO Standard)

Industrial Time Study

Work Sampling: Analyst's Guide to Statistical Precision and Process Optimization (ILO Standard)

Why do traditional time studies systematically fail when trying to measure maintenance, internal logistics, or line supervision roles? The answer lies in variability.

Jan 3, 2026 Read more →
Bedaux Scale (60/80) vs. ILO Centesimal (100/133): Why Industry 4.0 Demands Abandoning the Bedaux System

Industrial Engineering

Bedaux Scale (60/80) vs. ILO Centesimal (100/133): Why Industry 4.0 Demands Abandoning the Bedaux System

Executive Summary for Management: Is your plant still measuring in 'Bedaux Points' while trying to integrate an MES or SAP system? We analyze the technical dichotomy between the 60/80 tradition and the Centesimal international standard.

Jan 2, 2026 Read more →
Normal Time vs. Standard Time: Mathematical Analysis and the Hidden Error in Your Industrial Costs (2025 Guide)

Industrial Engineering

Normal Time vs. Standard Time: Mathematical Analysis and the Hidden Error in Your Industrial Costs (2025 Guide)

Analysis of precision in Methods Engineering and the impact of measurement errors on industrial SMEs. Learn the difference between Normal and Standard time.

Jan 2, 2026 Read more →