Improving the Application of the "Learning Curve" (PDF)

Project Report from the year 2017 in the subject Engineering - General, , language: English, abstract: There exist some fields in which the learning curves can be applied; they have a much wider applications including manufacturing and marketing strategy. However, they underlay the concept of continuous improvement, pricing decisions, work scheduling, standard setting, direct labour budget etc. Learning curve states that decreasing man hours are required to accomplish any repetitive task as the operation is continued; then knowledge of learning curve can be useful both in planning and control. Estimates of learning curves are used in many applications in organizations and they can be effective with the job which is repetitive in nature particulars with same machinery and tools; thus this study aims at improving the application of the learning curve which describes how knowledge is acquired and retained when people repeat a process. The overall purpose of this report is to determine whether or not the learning curve theory can be replicated. Data will be gathered based on the England flyer folding instructions; thereafter we will be plotting the learning curve by calculating the cumulative average, estimating the table of unit improvement curves and determining the learning rate.

When a new product or process is started, performance of worker is not at its best and learning phenomenon takes place. As the experience is gained, the performance of worker improves, time taken per unit reduces; and then his productivity goes up. Thus, people who learn always increase their experience, they gain skill and ability from their own experience and the results throughout processes are improved. The usual use of learning curves is to estimate the labor hours and thereby much of the cost, of a manufactured good that is built in significant quantities.