What Do You Know About Frank And Lillian Gilbert?

A construction contractor by trade, frank Gilbert gave up his contracting career in 1912 to study scientific management after hearing Taylor speak at the meeting. Frank and his wife Lillian an psychologist studied work to eliminate wasteful hand-and-body motions. The Gilberts also experimented with the design and use of the proper tools and equipments for optimizing work performance. Frank is best known in his experiment in bricklaying. By carefully analyzing the bricklayer's job he reduced the number of motions in laying exterior brick from 18 to about 5 and on laying interior brick the motions were reduced from 18 to 2. Using Gilbert's techniques the bricklayer could be more productive and less fatigued at the end of the day.

The Gilbert was among the first researchers to use motion picture to study hand and body motions. They invented a device called micro chronometer that recorded the worker's motion and the amount of time spent doing each motion. Wasted motions missed by the naked eye could be identified and eliminated. The Gilbreths also devised a classification scheme to label 17 basic hand motions such as search, grasp and hold which they called therbligs. This scheme allowed the Gilbert a more precise way of analysing a worker's exact hand movements.