Frederick Winslow Taylor

Taylor's idea that every task can be measured, standardized, and paid against a target is the root of modern warehouse labor standards. Working at Midvale Steel and later as a consultant, he timed each element of a job, removed wasted steps, and set an expected output for a trained worker, publishing the approach in The Principles of Scientific Management in 1911. Today's engineered labor standards, units-per-hour targets, and labor management systems that compare each picker to an expected time per task follow the same logic. His methods were also criticized for treating workers as machines, a debate that continues around productivity quotas in fulfillment centers.

• Labor Management SystemLMSSoftware that tracks warehouse labor
• Units per HourUPHUnits handled in one labor hour
• ThroughputWork completed per hour or per day

• Frank Gilbreth1868–1924 · Pioneer of motion study
• Lillian Gilbreth1878–1972 · Industrial psychologist and engineer
• Henry Gantt1861–1919 · Creator of the Gantt chart

• The Principles of Scientific Management1911 · Taylor's book on timed tasks and standard methods

1. The Principles of Scientific Management (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org
2. Frederick Winslow Taylor (ASME) asme.org