Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were a husband and wife team who made significant contributions to the fields of industrial engineering and management. Frank Gilbreth was born in 1868 in Fairfield, Maine, and Lillian Gilbreth was born in 1878 in Oakland, California. Together, they pioneered the use of scientific principles to improve efficiency and productivity in the workplace.
Frank Gilbreth was trained as a bricklayer and began his career in the construction industry. However, he quickly became interested in the study of motion and how it could be used to improve efficiency in the workplace. In the early 1900s, he developed a system known as "therbligs," which identified 18 basic elements of motion that were necessary for workers to complete a task. By analyzing the therbligs of a task, Gilbreth was able to identify ways to reduce the number of motions required to complete the task, thereby increasing efficiency and reducing the risk of injury.
Lillian Gilbreth was also a trained engineer, and she worked closely with her husband to develop and apply the principles of motion study to a wide range of industries. In addition to her work in the field of industrial engineering, Lillian Gilbreth was also a pioneer in the field of ergonomics, which is the study of how people interact with their environment. She worked to design workplaces and tools that were more comfortable and easier to use, which helped to increase productivity and reduce the risk of injury.
One of the most notable contributions of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth was their development of the "single piece flow" system of production, which is also known as the "continuous flow" system. This system was designed to eliminate waste and improve efficiency by having workers complete one task at a time, rather than having multiple tasks in progress at the same time. This system was widely adopted in many industries, including manufacturing, and it remains a cornerstone of modern production processes.
In addition to their contributions to industrial engineering and management, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were also notable for their work as educators. They wrote several books on their work, which helped to spread their ideas and techniques to a wider audience. They also established the Gilbreth Industrial School, which was designed to teach students about the principles of efficiency and productivity.
Overall, the contributions of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth had a significant impact on the fields of industrial engineering and management, and their work continues to be studied and applied today. Their contributions helped to pave the way for the development of modern production processes, and their ideas and techniques remain an important part of the business world.