JP2022032848A - Productivity improvement system and productivity improvement method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a productivity improvement system and a productivity improvement method for specifying a standard work for productivity improvement.SOLUTION: In a productivity improvement system, an analyzer 10 has acquisition means 12 for acquiring data including a work flow line of a worker who repeats a work in an object area and a survey period, decomposition means 13 for decomposing the work flow line indicated by the data into a plurality of partial work flow lines, first specification means 14 for specifying a standard work flow line based on partial work flow lines whose similarity is equal to or higher than a reference, among the partial work flow lines, and display means 16 for displaying the standard work flow line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a technique for supporting the improvement of productivity at a production / distribution site.

In order to improve productivity at production / distribution sites, a technique for recording the work flow line of a worker is known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a system for recording a work flow line using a transmitter 20 installed in a target area and a receiver 30 mounted on a user. Further, Non-Patent Document 1 describes a system that records a work flow line by using a milestone installed in a search target area, an autonomous sensor attached to an operator, and a small video camera.

Japanese Patent No. 6469285

Logistics site improvement challenge DSS "work behavior survey analysis system" Thorough investigation of work flow lines, visualization of problems at production / logistics sites, MATERIAL FLOW, Japan, Distribution Research Co., Ltd., September 1, 2009, 50th Volume 9, No. 9, pp. 45-48

In the systems described in Patent Document 1 and Non-Patent Document 1, after collecting work flow line data, the analysis for improving productivity relied on the knowledge and experience of experts.

On the other hand, the present invention provides a technique for specifying standard work for improving productivity.

One aspect of the present disclosure is an acquisition means for acquiring data including the work flow line of the worker in the target area and the survey period for the worker who repeatedly performs the work, and a plurality of parts of the work flow line indicated by the data. The disassembling means that decomposes into work flow lines, the first specific means that specifies the standard work flow line based on the partial work flow lines whose similarity is equal to or higher than the reference among the plurality of partial work flow lines, and the standard work. Provided is a productivity improvement system having a display means for displaying a flow line.

The disassembling means may decompose the working flow line into the partial working flow line at designated time intervals.

This productivity improving system has a second specific means for specifying a start point and an end point of repetition in the work flow line, and the decomposition means has a series of flow lines from the start point to the end point as the partial work flow line. It may be disassembled as.

This productivity improvement system has a classification means for classifying the plurality of partial work flow lines into a plurality of patterns based on the degree of similarity, and the first specific means is the most portion of the plurality of patterns. The work flow line may be specified based on the pattern to which the work flow line belongs.

The classification means may specify the standard work flow line using unsupervised learning.

The display means may emphasize the difference between the standard work flow line and the partial work flow line belonging to a pattern other than the pattern to which the most partial work flow lines belong among the plurality of patterns.

The data includes an image obtained by capturing the work, and the display means may display an image corresponding to a designated position in the standard work flow line.

The disassembling means decomposes the repeatedly performed work into a plurality of the partial work flow lines for each work, and the display means decomposes each of the plurality of partial work flow lines into the partial work flow lines. You may display the result of classification according to the time variance of.

The work includes a plurality of steps, has a receiving means for receiving designation of a correspondence relationship between a position and a step in the standard work flow line, and the display means is information including the result of statistical processing relating to the plurality of steps. May be displayed.

The display means may display information in which the plurality of steps are arranged in a recommended order.

The first specific means identifies a candidate for the standard work flow line, the data includes an image of shooting the work, and the display means displays an image corresponding to the candidate and views the image. The user has a receiving means for accepting an instruction as to whether the candidate may be adopted as the standard work flow line, and the input of the instruction that the candidate may be adopted as the standard work flow line is input. When the receiving means accepts, the first specific means may specify the candidate as the standard work flow line.

Another aspect of the present disclosure is a step of acquiring data including the work flow line of the worker in the target area and the survey period for the worker who repeatedly performs the work, and a plurality of work flow lines indicated by the data. The step of decomposing into the partial work flow line, the step of specifying the standard work flow line based on the partial work flow line whose similarity is equal to or higher than the standard among the plurality of partial work flow lines, and the standard work flow line. Provided is a productivity improvement method having a step to display.

According to the present invention, a standard work flow line can be specified from the work flow line data.

The figure which illustrates the structure of the productivity improvement system 1 which concerns on one Embodiment. The figure which illustrates the appearance of the receiver 30. The figure which illustrates the hardware composition of the receiver 30. The figure which illustrates the appearance of a camera 40 and a recorder 50. The figure which illustrates the appearance of the transmitter 20. The figure which illustrates the hardware composition of a transmitter 20. The figure which illustrates the functional structure of the analyzer 10. The figure which illustrates the hardware composition of the analyzer 10. The flowchart which illustrates the operation of the productivity improvement system 1. The figure which illustrates the arrangement of the transmitter 20 in a target area. A flowchart illustrating a process for specifying a standard work flow line. The figure which illustrates the partial work flow line. The figure which exemplifies the classification result of a partial work flow line. The flowchart which shows the example which decomposes a partial work flow line by a start point and an end point. The figure which exemplifies the classification result of a partial work flow line. The figure which illustrates the display screen of the standard work flow line. A flowchart illustrating the process of creating a pile table graph. The figure which illustrates the screen for associating a video with a work process. The figure which illustrates the display screen of the pile table graph. The figure which illustrates the display screen of the standard work combination table. The figure which illustrates the standard work verification table. The figure which exemplifies the work item timetable.

1. 1. Configuration Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the productivity improvement system 1 according to the embodiment. The productivity improvement system 1 records the behavior of the worker and analyzes the recorded behavior. The productivity improvement system 1 includes an analyzer 10, a transmitter 20, a receiver 30, a camera 40, a recorder 50, and a camera 60. Although a plurality of transmitters 20 are installed in the target area, only one transmitter 20 is shown here. In this example, the receiver 30, the camera 40, and the recorder 50 are devices worn by the worker, and are collectively referred to as the worker device. The worker device is a device for recording the behavior of the worker. The receiver 30 receives a signal indicating a position in the target area. The camera 40 captures an image (that is, a moving image) corresponding to the field of view of the operator. The recorder 50 records an image taken by the camera 40.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the receiver 30. The receiver 30 has a housing 31 and a band 32. The housing 31 houses the hardware elements described later. The housing 31 is made of, for example, metal or resin. The band 32 is a structure for attaching the housing 31 to the user. The band 32 is made of, for example, cloth, resin, or metal. In this example, the light receiving element 33 is exposed on the surfaces of the housing 31 and the band 32. A plurality of light receiving elements 33 (four in the example of FIG. 2) are provided, and are provided at positions where signals from different directions are received in the mounted state. For example, the light receiving element 33a receives a signal from the front of the worker, the light receiving element 33b receives the signal from the left of the worker, the light receiving element 33c receives the signal from the right of the worker, and the light receiving element 33d Receives a signal from behind the worker.

In this example, the band 32 has a shape and size for, for example, to be worn (or fixed) on the worker's ankle. When the receiver 30 is attached to the wrist or torso of the worker, the signal from the transmitter 20 may not be received depending on the orientation of the worker's body and the posture of the arm. By attaching the receiver 30 to the ankle of the operator, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the signal from the transmitter 20 cannot be received. Further, when the receiver 30 is attached to the worker's head, there arises a problem that the band 32 becomes large and a problem that the height of the transmitter 20 must be adjusted according to the height of the worker. there is a possibility. These problems can also be addressed by attaching the receiver 30 to the worker's ankle.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the receiver 30. The receiver 30 includes a light receiving element 33, a receiving circuit 34, a clock circuit 35, a memory control circuit 36, a memory 37, and a battery 38. The light receiving element 33 receives the signal transmitted from the transmitter 20. This signal is, for example, an infrared signal and includes position information indicating the position of the transmitter 20. The light receiving element 33 outputs an electric signal corresponding to the received signal. The receiving circuit 34 extracts the position information from the electric signal output from the light receiving element 33. The clock circuit 35 measures the time and outputs the time information. The clock circuit 35 includes, for example, a GPS receiver and measures the time using GPS signals. The memory control circuit 36 writes a set of position information output from the reception circuit 34 and time information output from the clock circuit 35 to the memory 37. The memory control circuit 36 writes a set of these information to the memory 37 at a predetermined cycle (for example, 32 times / second). The memory 37 stores a history of these information. The history of this information shows the locus of movement of the worker, that is, the work flow line. A set of a series of position information and time information is called work flow line data. The memory 37 is, for example, a detachable memory card (for example, an SDXC memory card) conforming to a predetermined standard. Alternatively, the memory 37 may not be removable and may be fixed to the housing 31. In this case, the receiver 30 has an interface (for example, a USB port) for reading the data stored in the memory 37. The receiver 30 is connected to the analyzer 10 by a cable via this interface. The analyzer 10 reads the work flow line data from the memory 37 via this cable. Alternatively, the receiver 30 has a communication device that communicates with the analyzer 10 in accordance with a predetermined wireless communication standard (for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark)), and even if the work flow line data is transmitted to the analyzer 10 via radio. good. If the target area has no restriction on the use of radio waves, the work flow line data may be transmitted to the analyzer 10 in real time via this wireless device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the camera 40 and the recorder 50. In this example, the camera 40 and the recorder 50 are attached to the vest 41. Workers wear a vest 41 during this survey. FIG. 4A shows a state in which the worker is viewed from the side, and FIG. 4B shows a state in which the worker is viewed from behind. The camera 40 is attached at a position corresponding to the shoulder of the vest 41. The camera 40 photographs the front of the worker. For example, the camera 40 can continuously shoot a wide-angle image having a horizontal angle of view of 170 °, and can shoot a wide range of the operator's hand and the surrounding landscape.

The recorder 50 is connected to the camera 40 via the signal line 42. A video signal output from the camera 40 is input to the recorder 50. The recorder 50 is attached to a position corresponding to the back of the vest 41. The recorder 50 includes a housing, a display device, a video input terminal, a clock circuit, a memory control device, a memory, and a battery (not shown except for the housing and the display device). The memory control device writes the video obtained from the video signal input from the camera 40 via the video input terminal to the memory as video data. At this time, the memory control device records the time information output from the clock circuit as information indicating the time of the video. The clock circuit includes, for example, a GPS receiver and measures the time using GPS signals. The method of reading the video data stored in the memory of the recorder 50 from the analyzer 10 is the same as the method of reading the work flow line data from the receiver 30.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the appearance of the transmitter 20. The transmitter 20 includes a housing 21, a stand 22, a light emitting element 23, and a switch 24. The housing 21 houses the hardware elements described later. The stand 22 is a stand for installing the transmitter 20 in the target area. The light emitting element 23 transmits position information via predetermined light (infrared rays in this example). This position information indicates the position where the transmitter 20 is installed in the target area. The light emitting element 23 outputs a signal within a predetermined irradiation range (for example, a horizontal / vertical direction angle of about 70 °). The switch 24 is a switch for switching the effective irradiation distance of the signal output from the light emitting element 23. In this example, the effective irradiation distance can be set to either a short distance (for example, 1 m) or a long distance (for example, 2 m). If the effective irradiation distance is shortened, the possibility of infrared signal interference can be reduced even if the transmitter 20 is densely installed in the target area.

The method of outputting location information via short-range wireless communication has a problem that it cannot be used in a place where precision electronic parts that are easily affected by electromagnetic waves (radio waves) are handled. However, if infrared rays are used as in this example, they can be used even in places where precision electronic components that are easily affected by radio waves are handled.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the transmitter 20. The transmitter 20 has a memory 25, a control circuit 26, and a battery 27. The memory 25 stores the position information. Here, the position information may be information that directly indicates a position in the target area (for example, information that defines a plane coordinate system in the target area and indicates coordinates in the coordinate system), or indirectly indicates the position in the target area. It may be the information shown to the target. The information indirectly indicating the position is, for example, an identification number of a plurality of transmitters 20 installed. In this case, information for converting the identification number of the transmitter 20 into the coordinates of the target area is prepared, and the identification number of the transmitter 20 is converted into the coordinates with reference to this information.

The control circuit 26 converts the position information into an electric signal and outputs it to the light emitting element 23. The light emitting element 23 emits light in response to this electric signal. Further, the control circuit 26 controls the light emitting element 23 so as to change the effective irradiation distance according to the state of the switch 24.

In this example, wiring of the power line and the signal line is unnecessary in the plurality of transmitters 20. Therefore, the transmitter 20 can be installed in a short time and at low cost. Further, the transmitter 20 can be installed even in a target area where wiring is difficult due to the balance with existing equipment.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating the functional configuration of the analyzer 10. The analyzer 10 includes a storage means 11, an acquisition means 12, a decomposition means 13, a specific means 14, a classification means 15, a display means 16, a control means 17, and a reception means 18. The storage means 11 stores various data. The acquisition means 12 acquires the work flow line data of the worker in the target area and the survey period for the worker who repeatedly performs the work. The decomposition means 13 decomposes the work flow line indicated by the work flow line data into a plurality of partial work flow lines. The specific means 14 specifies a standard work flow line based on a partial work flow line having a similarity equal to or higher than a reference among a plurality of partial work flow lines (an example of the first specific means and the second specific means).

The classification means 15 classifies the plurality of partial work flow lines into a plurality of patterns (or groups) based on the degree of similarity. The specifying means 14 identifies the work flow line based on the pattern to which the most partial work flow lines belong among the plurality of patterns. The display means 16 displays information about the work flow line. The control means 17 performs various controls. The receiving means 18 receives an instruction to the analyzer 10 or an input of data.

FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the analyzer 10. The analyzer 10 is a computer device having a CPU 110, a memory 120, a storage 130, an interface 140, an input device 150, and an output device 160. The CPU 110 executes the process according to the program. The memory 120 is a main storage device that functions as a work area when the CPU 110 executes processing. The memory 120 includes, for example, a ROM and a RAM. The storage 130 is an auxiliary storage device for storing programs and data. The storage 130 includes, for example, SSD or HDD. The interface 140 is an interface for communicating with other devices such as the receiver 30 or the recorder 50. The interface 140 has, for example, a terminal and a control circuit for exchanging data with an external device according to a predetermined plan (for example, USB). The input device 150 is a device for inputting data or instructions to the analyzer 10. The input device 150 includes, for example, at least one of a touch screen, a keyboard, a mouse, and a microphone. The output device 160 is a device for outputting information. The output device 160 includes, for example, at least one of a display and a speaker.

In this example, the program stored in the storage 130 includes a program (hereinafter referred to as “analysis program”) for making the computer function as the analysis device 10 in the productivity improvement system 1. While the CPU 110 is executing the analysis program, at least one of the memory 120 and the storage 130 is an example of the storage means 11. The CPU 110 is an example of the acquisition means 12, the disassembly means 13, the identification means 14, and the classification means 15. The output device 160 (particularly the display) is an example of the display means 16.

See FIG. 1 again. The camera 60 captures an image of observing the target area from a fixed point. The camera 60 is installed at a position where, for example, a bird's-eye view of the target area can be obtained. If one camera 60 cannot cover the entire target area, a plurality of cameras 60 may be used. Although detailed description of the hardware configuration of the camera 60 is omitted, it has a clock circuit like the operator's device, and time information is recorded together with video data. The camera 60 has a function of transferring the recorded video data and time information to the analyzer 10.

2. 2. Operation 2-1. Overview FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the productivity improvement system 1. In step S1, the user prepares the productivity improvement system 1. Specifically, a plurality of transmitters 20 and a plurality of cameras 60 are installed in the target area.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the arrangement of the transmitter 20 in the target area. FIG. 10 shows a plan view of the target area. In this example, the manufacturing facility is the target area. This manufacturing facility has doorways DW1 and DW2, six machine tools M1 to M6, and two workbenches WB1 and WB2. In this embodiment, a total of 17 transmitters 20 are installed on the floor surface around each machine tool and workbench. In the survey, the purpose is to understand which machine tool or workbench the subject has stopped by and how long he / she has stayed, and what kind of movement route he / she is following. be. The user installs the transmitter 20 at a position suitable for this purpose.

In this example, a total of four cameras 60 are installed. The target area is a quadrangle when viewed from above, and the four cameras 60 are installed at the four corners of the target area. According to the image taken by the camera 60, it is possible to confirm the surrounding state including the target person and the positional relationship with other workers.

Preparation of the productivity improvement system 1 includes mounting a worker device on the subject. The worker device for the subject is as illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. The target person may be one person or a plurality of people. When a plurality of workers perform work in the target area, the user selects the target person from these plurality of workers according to the purpose of the survey. For example, when a standard work process is determined based on the work of a skilled worker, the worker who seems to have the highest work efficiency among these plurality of workers is selected as the target person. Alternatively, when clarifying the difference between a skilled worker and a newcomer, the worker who seems to have the highest work efficiency and the worker who has the least background are selected as the target person among these plurality of workers.

The preparation of the productivity improvement system 1 further includes setting the time. Specifically, the user adjusts the time in the clock circuit 35 of the receiver 30 and the time in the clock circuit of the recorder 50 to the current time. When adjusting the time using GPS signals, the receiver 30 and the recorder 50 are set by taking them outdoors where GPS signals can be received. By adjusting the time, the work flow line data recorded in the receiver 30 and the video data recorded in the recorder 50 are synchronized.

See FIG. 9 again. In step S2, the user conducts a survey, that is, data collection. The survey period is determined by the user in consideration of the type of the target area (for example, whether it is a manufacturing facility, an office, or a distribution facility), the size of the target area, the number of target persons, the working time, and the like. It is preferable that the survey period is set so that the same work can be repeated a sufficient number of times. For example, for the work of manufacturing four identical parts per hour, if the survey period is 5 hours, the number of repetitions will be 20 times. The user sets the worker device to start recording data. The subject starts work. The user asks the subject to work until the specified survey period elapses.

In step S3, the user performs data analysis. At the time of data analysis, the user first reads the work flow line data recorded in the receiver 30, the video data recorded in the recorder 50, and the video data recorded in the camera 60 in the analysis device 10. The analyzer 10 outputs, for example, a flow diagram, a pile table, a standard work combination table, a standard work verification table, or the like as a result of analyzing these data. These analysis methods will be described later.

2-2. Analysis The analysis and output of the data collected by the productivity improvement system 1 includes some examples. Below, some examples of data analysis will be described. Only one of the analyzes described below may be implemented, or two or more analyzes may be implemented.

2-2-1. Identification of standard work flow lines In this example, analysis of work flow line data involves identification of standard work flow lines. The standard work flow line is a standard (or ideal) work flow line when performing a certain work in a certain work place. For example, consider an example in which a series of operations of performing step α in device A, step β in device B, and steps γ and δ in device C are repeatedly performed. The standard work operation is to define the procedure of performing step α in device A in minutes, moving from device A to device B in how many minutes, performing step β in device B in minutes, and so on. It is a line.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a process for specifying a standard work flow line. The flow of FIG. 11 is started, for example, when an instruction for specifying a standard work flow line is input from the user. In the following, functional elements such as the acquisition means 12 may be described as the main body of the process, which means that the CPU 110 executing the analysis program executes the process in cooperation with other hardware elements. do.

In step S11, the acquisition means 12 of the analyzer 10 acquires the work flow line data. The work flow line data shows a series of work flow lines during the survey period. The survey period is required to be long enough to continue the survey while the same work is repeated. As an example, if the work is repeated once (that is, one cycle) for about 15 minutes, the survey period is preferably 5 to 6 hours or more. The work flow line indicated by the work flow line data indicates a flow line when the subject repeatedly performs the same work.

In step S12, the disassembling means 13 decomposes the work flow line indicated by the work flow line data into a plurality of work flow lines (that is, a work flow line for each work or a work flow line corresponding thereto). Hereinafter, in order to distinguish between the work flow line before disassembly and the work flow line after disassembly, the work flow line after disassembly is referred to as "partial work flow line". As a method of decomposing the work flow line into a plurality of partial work flow lines, for example, one of the following two is used.

(1) Exploded by Time FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of decomposing a partial work flow line by time. In this example, the work flow line is decomposed with respect to time. In step S21, the disassembling means 13 receives the input of the reference time from the user. The reference time indicates the time length of the partial work flow line. For example, if the information that "a skilled person manufactures about four of these parts in one hour" is obtained in advance, the user can estimate that the standard working time is about 15 minutes. In this case, the user inputs 15 minutes as the reference time.

Upon receiving the input of the reference time, the decomposition means 13 decomposes the work flow line into the partial work flow lines for each reference time (step S22). Here, consider an example in which the work flow line data includes the work flow line for 5 hours from 0:00 of the time and the reference time is input to 15 minutes. The disassembling means 13 sets the work flow line from 0:00 to 0:15, from 0:15 to 0:30, from 0:30 to 0:45, ..., from 4:45 to 5:00, and so on. It is disassembled into 20 partial work flow lines. In this example, the reference time of 15 minutes is based on the information that "a skilled person manufactures approximately 4 pieces of this part per hour", and the time required for the subject to manufacture one piece of this part is exactly 15 Not always minutes. In addition, it is not possible to manufacture all 20 parts in the same time. For example, the first part takes a little extra time, the second part is completed a little earlier, and so on, and there are fluctuations in each time. Despite these circumstances, the disassembling means 13 decomposes into partial work flow lines every reference time. That is, a situation may occur in which one partial work flow line is longer than the flow line for manufacturing one component, and another partial work flow line is shorter than the flow line for manufacturing one component.

In step S23, the classification means 15 classifies these plurality of partial work flow lines into a plurality of patterns. For classification, a clustering algorithm such as the k-means method is used. That is, the classification means 15 classifies the partial work flow lines into a plurality of patterns by unsupervised learning.

In step S24, the identifying means 14 identifies a standard work flow line based on the classification in step S23. First, the specifying means 14 selects the pattern having the largest number of partial work flow lines belonging to the pattern among the patterns classified in step S23. The specifying means 14 identifies a standard work flow line using a partial work flow line belonging to the selected pattern. In one example, the specific means 14 selects one work flow line from the partial work flow lines belonging to the selected pattern. Specifically, the specifying means 14 specifies the partial work flow line closest to the center of gravity of the cluster in the k-means method as the standard work flow line.

FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the classification result of the partial work flow line. Here, only six partial work flow lines are shown to avoid complication of the drawing. In this example, these six partial work flow lines are classified into two patterns. Four partial work flow lines belong to the pattern A, and two partial work flow lines belong to the pattern B. In this example, the identifying means 14 selects pattern A. The specifying means 14 specifies a standard work flow line using a partial work flow line belonging to the pattern A.

Here, since the work flow line is decomposed into partial work flow lines by time, in the specified standard work flow line, the position at the earliest time and the position at the latest time of the flow lines are the start point and end point of the work. May not match. However, depending on the content of the subsequent analysis, this is often not a problem.

(2) Exploding by starting point and ending point FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of decomposing a partial work flow line by starting point and ending point. In this example, the work flow line is decomposed with respect to the starting point and the ending point. In step S31, the disassembling means 13 receives input of a start point and an end point from the user. The disassembling means 13 accepts input of a start point and an end point on a screen displaying a work flow line on a map of a work place, for example. A series of work often starts at a certain position in the workplace and ends at a certain position, and so on. The position where the work starts is called the starting point, and the position where the work ends is called the ending point. In many cases, the starting point and the ending point are at the same position.

Upon receiving the input of the start point and the end point, the decomposition means 13 decomposes the work flow line into a partial work flow line from the start point to the end point (step S32). Consider an example in which the work is repeated 20 times in the target period. The disassembling means 13 has 20 work flow lines, from the first start point to the end point, from the second start point to the end point, from the third start point to the end point, ..., from the 20th start point to the end point, and so on. Disassemble into partial work flow lines. In this example, the time required for the subject to manufacture this one part is not always the same. For example, the first one takes a little extra time, the second one is completed a little earlier, and so on, and there are fluctuations in each time. That is, these plurality of partial work flow lines have different time lengths.

In step S33, the classification means 15 classifies these plurality of partial work flow lines into a plurality of patterns. For classification, a clustering algorithm such as the k-means method is used. That is, the classification means 15 classifies the partial work flow lines into a plurality of patterns by unsupervised learning.

In step S34, the identifying means 14 identifies a standard work flow line based on the classification in step S33. First, the specifying means 14 selects the pattern having the largest number of partial work flow lines belonging to the pattern among the patterns classified in step S33. The specifying means 14 identifies a standard work flow line using a partial work flow line belonging to the selected pattern. In one example, the specific means 14 selects one work flow line from the partial work flow lines belonging to the selected pattern. Specifically, the specifying means 14 specifies the partial work flow line having the shortest time among the partial work flow lines belonging to the selected pattern as the standard work flow line.

FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating the classification result of the partial work flow line. Here, only six partial work flow lines are shown to avoid complication of the drawing. In this example, these six partial work flow lines are classified into two patterns. Four partial work flow lines belong to the pattern A, and two partial work flow lines belong to the pattern B. In this example, the identifying means 14 selects pattern A. The specifying means 14 specifies a standard work flow line using a partial work flow line belonging to the pattern A.

See FIG. 11 again. In step S13, the display means 16 displays a standard work flow line. In one example, the display means 16 superimposes and displays a standard work flow line on a map of a workplace.

In this example, the display means 16 displays an image corresponding to a position designated in the standard work flow line. The details are as follows. While the display means 16 is displaying the standard work flow line, the control means 17 receives the designation of the position on the standard work flow line from the user. When a position (ie, one point) on the standard work line is specified, the control means 17 specifies a time corresponding to that position. Since the work flow line data includes a set of position information and time information, it is possible to specify the corresponding time if the position is specified. The control means 17 displays the video corresponding to the designated time among the video data corresponding to the standard work flow line.

FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a display screen of a standard work flow line. This display screen has two display areas, a display area 91 and a display area 92. The display area 91 is an area for displaying a map of the workplace. Standard work flow lines are overlaid on this map. In one example, the standard work flow line is represented by a solid line, and the start point and end point are displayed in a different appearance (for example, in a large circle) from other parts. The position P specified by the user is displayed with a different appearance from the start point and the end point and other parts (for example, with a circle having a different color from the start point and the end point). The display area 92 is an area for displaying an image captured by the camera 40. In the display area 92, virtual objects (for example, buttons) for playing, pausing, rewinding, and fast-forwarding the video are displayed. For example, when the play button is pressed, the image is played back in the display area 92. The point P moves on the standard work flow line in the display area 91 in synchronization with the reproduction of the video.

Here, an example in which the display area 91 and the display area 92 are included in one screen has been described, but the display area 91 and the display area 92 may be displayed in full screen, respectively. When a specific operation is performed while the display area 91 is displayed in full screen, the display is switched to the full screen display in the display area 92. The reverse is also true.

According to this example, the standard work flow line can be easily specified. The standard work flow line is important information for making a plan to improve productivity.

The identification means 14 may specify a standard work flow line based on the explicit instruction of the user. For example, in a state where the candidate of the standard work flow line specified by the above processing is displayed, the display means 16 further displays the image corresponding to the candidate of the standard work flow line. The user watches the video and determines whether the candidate is suitable for the standard work flow line. The display means 16 displays a UI object for inputting a determination result of whether or not the candidate is suitable for the standard work flow line. The user inputs the judgment result through this UI object. The receiving means 18 accepts the input of the determination result. When the result that the candidate is suitable for the standard work flow line is input, the specifying means 14 determines the candidate as the standard work flow line. When the result that the candidate is not suitable for the standard work flow line is input, the identification means 14 identifies another candidate. Another candidate identifies a new candidate for the standard work flow line from a pattern different from the one selected earlier (for example, pattern B in FIG. 15). When the pattern of the partial work flow line is classified into three or more, the display means 16 first causes the user to select a pattern, and the specific means 14 selects the partial work flow line which is the standard work flow line from the selected patterns. You may. The user is confirmed by video for this new candidate as well.

2-2-2. Creating a pile table graph In this example, the analysis of work flow line data involves creating a pile table graph. The pile table graph is a graph showing how long it takes to integrate each of the plurality of processes constituting the work.

FIG. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a process of creating a pile table graph. The flow of FIG. 17 is started, for example, when an instruction for specifying a standard work flow line is input from the user.

In step S41, the control means 17 prepares a list of work processes. In one example, the list of work processes is manually entered by the user. The storage means 11 stores a list of work processes. In step S42, the control means 17 receives an instruction to associate the video with the work process for the target work flow line data. The target work flow line data may be all work flow line data of the target period, or may be work flow line data of a part of the target period (for example, the part corresponding to the standard work flow line). good. The target work flow line data is specified by the user, for example.

FIG. 18 is a diagram illustrating a screen for associating a video with a work process. This screen includes a display area 93 and a display area 94. The display area 93 is an area for displaying an image. The display area 94 is an area for displaying a virtual object instructing playback, pause, fast forward, etc. of the video. The display area 93 includes a display area 95 in the display area 93. The display area 95 is an area for displaying the work process list prepared in step S41. The user selects one of the processes included in the work process list while watching the reproduced video. When it is determined from the video that the process A is being performed, the user selects the process A in the work process list. When it is determined that the process performed in the video has been switched from the process A to the process B, the user selects the process B in the work process list. When associating the video with the work process, the video may be reproduced in any way such as normal reproduction, slow reproduction, frame advance, or fast advance (x double speed reproduction).

The storage means 11 stores the identifier of the process selected by the user in association with the time of the video at that time. It can be said that this information is information that associates the video with the work process, and at the same time, is information that associates the work flow line with the work process.

See FIG. 17 again. When the predetermined end condition is satisfied, the control means 17 totals the working time (step S43). The predetermined end condition is, for example, a condition that the user has instructed the end, or a condition that the association with the work process is completed for all the target work flow line data. In step S44, the control means 17 generates a pile table graph using the aggregated work time data. The display means 16 displays the generated pile table graph.

FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a display screen of a pile table graph. In this example, the working time of each process is displayed in the form of a stacked bar graph. The vertical axis of this graph shows the integrated work time in the target work flow line data. For example, when the work flow line data for 5 hours is the object of analysis, the integrated value of the work time in the graph is 5 hours. When only the part corresponding to one standard work flow line is the subject of analysis, the integrated value of the work time in the graph is the standard work time (for example, 15 minutes). The vertical axis of the graph may be standardized, for example, the working time per component.

In this example, the display means 16 displays the ratio of the work time of a specific process to the work time of all the processes among the plurality of processes. A specific process is, for example, a process that does not add value. The "process" here may be a transfer process between work processes. The specific process is specified by the user, for example, on another setting screen prior to the display of the pile table, or on the display screen of the pile table. The receiving means 18 receives the designation of a specific process.

According to the pile table graph, it is clear at a glance which process takes how long, whether it is more or less than other processes, and how much it occupies in the whole work. In addition, since the ratio of the work time of a specific process to the work time of all processes is displayed, the room for improvement is obvious.

2-2-3. Creating a standard work combination table In this example, analysis of work flow line data involves creating a standard work combination table. The standard work combination table is a graph showing how long it takes for each of the plurality of steps constituting the work. The data used to create the standard work combination table is acquired by the method described in the process of creating the pile table graph. The control means 17 generates a standard work combination table in response to an instruction from a user, for example. The display means 16 displays the generated standard work combination table.

FIG. 20 is a diagram illustrating a display screen of a standard work combination table. The vertical axis is arranged in the order in which the work processes are executed. The horizontal axis shows the time. While a horizontal solid line is drawn in this graph, it indicates that the process is being performed. While the position of the vertical axis is changing, it indicates that movement between processes is being performed. The part where the line is interrupted indicates that the worker is not working (the hand is free).

In this example, the display means 16 displays a line corresponding to a specific step among a plurality of steps with an appearance different from the line corresponding to the other steps. The difference in the appearance of a line means that at least one of a line type such as a solid line and a broken line, a line thickness, and a line color is different. According to this example, a specific process is performed between which process and which process. It's easy to see how long it takes.

The standard work combination table may be created for all of the measured work flow lines data, or may be created only for a specific partial work flow line (for example, a standard work flow line). According to the standard work combination table, it is clear at a glance in what order the plurality of processes are performed, and how long each process takes. Generally, a standard work combination table can be created only for a work time of several tens of seconds to 5 minutes, but according to the present embodiment, a standard work combination table corresponding to a longer work time can be created.

2-2-4. Creating a standard work verification table In this example, analysis of work flow line data involves creating a standard work verification table. The standard work verification table shows the deviation from the standard work time for each of the plurality of partial work flow lines included in the measured work flow line data. The measurement work time indicates the time actually required from the start (that is, the start point) to the end (that is, the end point) of the work. The measurement work time is the time from the time when the starting point is reached to the time when the next ending point is reached in the work flow line data.

FIG. 21 is a diagram illustrating a standard work verification table. In this example, the measurement work time, the difference from the standard work time, and the variance are described for each of the eight partial work flow lines from the first to the eighth. Further, the control means 17 determines whether or not the deviation from the standard work time is within the allowable range for each partial work flow line. The tolerance is set by the user. Alternatively, the tolerance may be defined by the analytical program. The display means 16 displays the result of this determination in the standard work verification table. In the example of FIG. 21, if the deviation from the standard working time is less than 30 seconds, the deviation is allowed. The criteria for this tolerance are adjusted, for example, according to the actual sales prospect of the corresponding product. If the number of products produced exceeds the number actually sold, the inventory will increase. On the other hand, if the number of products produced is less than the number actually sold, there will be insufficient products to sell. Increasing the tolerance standard means that there is a greater possibility that there will be a discrepancy between the number of production and the number of actual sales.

According to the standard work verification table, it is possible to easily grasp how the deviation from the standard work time is distributed. For example, even if the average work time for all eight times is the same at 15:00 seconds, if the variance is large (that is, if the variation in the work time for each work is large) and if the variance is small, the subsequent work can be performed. The impact is completely different. For example, if the variance is large, the work-in-process inventory for subsequent work may increase unexpectedly, or the work-in-process inventory may become insufficient. Then, for example, when considering the entire factory, the progress of the next work of this work cannot be controlled, and the production efficiency may decrease. Therefore, it is useful to analyze how much the work time varies when the same work is performed multiple times.

2-2-5. Creating a work item timetable In this example, the analysis of work flow line data involves creating a work item timetable. The work item timetable shows the ideal order and time allocation for a plurality of processes constituting the work. It can be said that the work item timetable is an easy-to-read version of the standard work combination table from another point of view. In one example, the control means 17 extracts a work item (that is, each process) and the required time from the work process name associated with the image in the standard work flow line. At this time, the control means 17 may consider the variance or standard deviation described in the standard work verification table. For example, the control means 17 sets the required time of the process as a value obtained by adding a margin (for example, + 1σ or + 2σ) in consideration of the standard deviation to the average value of the working time of the process for each of the plurality of processes. May be good.

FIG. 22 is a diagram illustrating a work item timetable. In this example, the work time is set for each of the seven steps constituting a certain work. The control means 17 determines the standard working time by summing up these working hours. According to the work item timetable, it is possible to provide a guideline as to what order and how long each of a plurality of processes constituting a certain work should be performed.

The receiving means 18 may receive an instruction to edit or change the timetable from the user with the work item timetable generated by the control means 17 as the initial value. According to this example, the work item timetable can be edited based on the user's knowledge.

3. 3. Modifications The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be carried out. Hereinafter, some modification examples will be described. Two or more of the items described in the following modifications may be used in combination.

3-1. Decomposition into Partial Work Flow Lines The method of obtaining the partial work flow lines from the work flow line data is not limited to the one exemplified in the embodiment. The work flow line data may be automatically decomposed into partial work flow lines by using, for example, machine learning. In this case, raw (ie, undecomposed) work flow line data obtained from different worksites and / or multiple workers is decomposed into the input layer and this work flow line data (by a skilled analyst). The partial work flow line obtained in this way is given to the output layer as teacher data. The decomposition means 13 may decompose the work flow line data into a plurality of partial work flow lines by using the trained model thus obtained.

Alternatively, the decomposition by the starting point and the ending point illustrated in the embodiment may be automated by using a machine learning method. In this case, raw (ie, undecomposed) work flow line data obtained from different worksites and / or multiple workers is decomposed into input layers and this work flow line data into partial work flow lines. The positions of the start point and end point of are given to the output layer as teacher data. The decomposition means 13 decomposes the work flow line data into a plurality of partial work flow lines by using the trained model thus obtained.

3-2. Specifying the standard work flow line The method of specifying the standard work flow line from a plurality of partial work flow lines is not limited to the one exemplified in the embodiment. For example, the specifying means 14 may specify a partial work flow line belonging to the pattern having the shortest average work time among the plurality of patterns as a standard work flow line. Alternatively, the specifying means 14 may specify the partial work flow line having the shortest work time among the plurality of partial work flow lines as the standard work flow line. In this case, the specific means 14 may exclude, for example, the partial work flow lines belonging to the same pattern from the candidates of the standard work flow lines when the number of the partial work flow lines does not reach the threshold value.

Machine learning techniques may be used to identify standard work flow lines. In this case, the data of the multiple partial work flow lines is in the input layer, and the data of the partial work flow lines selected as the standard work flow line (by a skilled analyst) from these multiple partial work flow lines is in the output layer. Given as data. The identification means 14 identifies a standard work flow line from a plurality of partial work flow lines by using the trained model thus obtained.

The standard work flow line is not limited to one partial work flow line selected from a plurality of partial work flow lines. The specific means 14 obtains a plurality of partial work flow lines belonging to the selected pattern by statistical processing (for example, an average of these plurality of partial work flow lines) as a standard work flow line. May be specified as.

3-3. Display of standard work flow line The method of displaying the standard work flow line is not limited to that exemplified in the embodiment. In a standard work flow line, different work processes may be displayed in different appearances (eg, in different colors). In this case, the display means 16 refers to the information for associating the work flow line with the work process acquired at the time of creating the pile table graph or the standard work combination table. Further, in this case, when a point on the work movement line is specified (for example, when the cursor indicates a point on the work flow line), the display means 16 displays information on the work process corresponding to that point. May be good. Information about the corresponding work process includes, for example, at least one of the work process name, the cumulative work time, and the ratio of the work time to the total work.

When one work process is specified (for example, when one work process is clicked on the pile table graph) while the display means 16 is displaying the pile table graph or the standard work combination table, the display means. Reference numeral 16 may display the portion corresponding to the designated work process in the standard work flow line with a different appearance (for example, in a different color) from the other portions.

3-4. Display of other work flow lines The display means 16 may display other work flow lines other than the standard work flow lines. The other work flow lines are, for example, work flow lines that belong to a pattern different from the standard work flow lines. Other work flow lines are specified by the user, for example. Other work flow lines may be displayed on the same screen as the standard work flow line, or may be displayed on a screen different from the standard work flow line (that is, switched from the screen displaying the standard work flow line). .. In this case, the display means 16 may emphasize the difference between the standard work flow line and the other work flow line. The difference is, for example, a spatial difference, and the part where the spatial deviation from the standard work flow line is equal to or more than the reference value in other work flow lines is continuous for the threshold time or more or the threshold distance or more. To say.

The other work flow line is, for example, a work flow line by a worker different from the standard work flow line. For example, by comparing the standard work flow line by a skilled worker with the work flow line by a new worker, it is possible to easily find an improvement point in the work flow line of a new worker.

The display means 16 may reproduce the video corresponding to this difference portion in response to an instruction from the user or automatically. At this time, the display means 16 may display the image corresponding to the standard work flow line and the image corresponding to another work flow line side by side. By displaying both side by side, not only the difference in the work flow line but also the difference in the work can be confirmed on the video. For example, by comparing the video of a skilled worker with the video of a new worker as in the previous example, it is possible to support the transfer of the skill of the skilled worker to the new worker.

3-5. Editing the standard work flow line The control means 17 may accept editing of the standard work flow line. Editing a standard work flow line includes, for example, a process of deleting a part of a work flow line and connecting points before and after the deletion, and a process of adding a part of another work flow line to the work flow line. .. Even if you are a skilled worker, it is not without any useless movements that have nothing to do with your work. Skilled workers may also have a short break in the middle of their work. When the standard work flow line includes such a break part, the user can delete the break part and create a more efficient standard work flow line. Alternatively, if the standard work flow line does not include a break part, but other work flow lines include such a break part, and it is considered that this break rather contributes to the improvement of work efficiency as a whole. The user adds a break to the standard work flow line.

3-6. Correspondence between video and process The process of associating the video of work with the process is based on the method exemplified in the embodiment in which the user identifies the process performed in the video while watching the video and inputs it to the analyzer 10. Not limited. The correspondence between the work flow line and the process may be automatically performed by using, for example, machine learning. In this case, video data acquired from a plurality of different workplaces and / or a plurality of workers is applied to the input layer at each time point of the video (by a skilled analyst). The process name is given to the output layer as teacher data. The control means 17 uses the trained model thus obtained to associate the image with the process.

3-7. Other Embodiments The hardware configuration of the productivity improvement system 1 is not limited to those exemplified in the embodiments. For example, at least some of the functions of the analyzer 10 may be implemented in a server on the network. This server may be a physical server or a virtual server (so-called cloud). Further, the correspondence between the functional element and the hardware element in the productivity improvement system 1 is not limited to that exemplified in the embodiment. The productivity improvement system 1 may have any hardware configuration as long as it can implement the required functions. In one example, the method and hardware configuration for acquiring work flow line data are not limited to those exemplified in the embodiment, and a method of analyzing an image taken from a bird's-eye view of the workplace to identify the work flow line, or infrared rays. Instead of, a method of specifying the position of the worker by using a radio wave, for example, a beacon such as BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) may be used.

The flows and sequences described in the embodiments are merely examples. Some of the steps illustrated in the embodiments may be omitted or replaced with other steps.

The program executed by the processor such as the CPU 110 may be provided in a state of being recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), or may be downloaded via a network such as the Internet. May be done.

1 ... Productivity improvement system, 5 ... Fourth, 10 ... Analytical device, 11 ... Storage means, 12 ... Acquisition means, 13 ... Decomposition means, 14 ... Specific means, 15 ... Classification means, 16 ... Display means, 17 ... Control Means, 18 ... Receiving means, 20 ... Transmitter, 21 ... Housing, 22 ... Stand, 23 ... Light emitting element, 24 ... Switch, 25 ... Memory, 26 ... Control circuit, 27 ... Battery, 30 ... Receiver, 31 ... Housing, 32 ... band, 33 ... light receiving element, 34 ... reception circuit, 35 ... clock circuit, 36 ... memory control circuit, 37 ... memory, 38 ... battery, 40 ... camera, 41 ... best, 42 ... signal line, 50 ... Recorder, 60 ... Camera, 91 ... Display area, 92 ... Display area, 93 ... Display area, 94 ... Display area, 95 ... Display area, 110 ... CPU, 120 ... Memory, 130 ... Storage, 140 ... Interface, 150 ... Input device, 160 ... Output device

Claims (12)

For a worker who repeats the work, an acquisition means for acquiring data including the work flow line of the worker in the target area and the survey period, and
Decomposition means for decomposing the work flow line shown by the data into a plurality of partial work flow lines, and
Among the plurality of partial work flow lines, a production having a first specific means for specifying a standard work flow line based on a partial work flow line whose similarity is equal to or higher than a reference and a display means for displaying the standard work flow line. Sex improvement system. The productivity improving system according to claim 1, wherein the disassembling means decomposes the working flow line into the partial working flow line at designated time intervals. It has a second specifying means for specifying the starting point and the ending point of the repetition in the work flow line.
The productivity improving system according to claim 1, wherein the disassembling means decomposes a series of flow lines from the starting point to the ending point as the partial work flow line. It has a classification means for classifying the plurality of partial work flow lines into a plurality of patterns based on the degree of similarity.
The productivity improvement according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first specifying means specifies the working flow line based on the pattern to which the most partial work flow lines belong among the plurality of patterns. system. The productivity improvement system according to claim 4, wherein the classification means uses unsupervised learning to specify the standard work flow line. Claim 4 or claim 4 or the display means emphasizes the difference between the standard work flow line and the partial work flow line belonging to a pattern other than the pattern to which the most partial work flow lines belong among the plurality of patterns. The productivity improvement system according to 5. The data includes images of the work taken.
The productivity improving system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the display means displays an image corresponding to a designated position in the standard work flow line. The disassembling means decomposes the repetitive work into a plurality of the partial work flow lines for each work.
The productivity improvement according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the display means displays the result of classifying each of the plurality of partial work flow lines according to the time dispersion of the partial work flow lines. system. The work involves a plurality of steps, and the work includes a plurality of steps.
In the standard work flow line, it has a receiving means for accepting the designation of the correspondence between the position and the process.
The productivity improvement system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the display means displays information including the results of statistical processing relating to the plurality of processes. The productivity improvement system according to claim 9, wherein the display means displays information in which the plurality of steps are arranged in a recommended order. The first specific means identifies a candidate for the standard work flow line and determines the candidate.
The data includes images of the work taken.
The display means displays an image corresponding to the candidate, and displays the image.
It has a receiving means for accepting an input of an instruction as to whether the candidate may be adopted as the standard work flow line by the user who has viewed the video.
When the receiving means receives the input of the instruction that the candidate may be adopted as the standard work flow line, the first specific means specifies the candidate as the standard work flow line. The productivity improvement system according to any one of 10. For a worker who repeats the work, a step to acquire data including the work flow line of the worker in the target area and the survey period, and
A step of decomposing the work flow line shown by the above data into a plurality of partial work flow lines, and
A productivity improving method including a step of specifying a standard work flow line based on a partial work flow line having a similarity equal to or higher than a reference among the plurality of partial work flow lines and a step of displaying the standard work flow line.

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