A Comparative Study of Shift Work: Days, Nights, and Weekends: Which Shift Yields Higher Output and Lower Defects

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to determine if there are statistically significant differences in the performance output for three different shifts in an electronic manufacturer. The primary focus of this paper will study day, night, and weekend shift and compare productivity using Analysis of Variance. The secondary focus of this paper is to understand if variables such as shift, number of changeovers, and management affect productivity and quality using Multiple Regression. By understanding if and what these differences are, manufacturing can be optimized to provide consistency across the different shifts.

Statistical analysis indicated that there are differences in productivity among two value streams, while the remaining two indicated no differences. Furthermore, one value stream revealed that changeovers affect productivity while shift and management were insignificant factors for all value streams.