The industrial learning curve quantifies not only individual performance, but also the composite performance of groups of people organized to accomplish a common task.
The study of a number of operations, which are important components of major industries, illustrates the tracing of improvement patterns with learning curve characteristics. Operations are inherently susceptible to improvement, making this a dynamic tool.
Continued improvement depends on a chain of influence which begins with the conviction that progress is possible, and continues with the creation of a supportive environment. This must be followed by flexibility and willingness to change established practices.
Management’s visions and leadership make the learning curve a primary tool.
…Learning patterns were reportedly first observed for manufacturing operations in 1925 by the commander of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.1 During subsequent years, definitive studies of aircraft assembly showed the following pattern: the 4th plane required only 80% as much direct labor as the second; the 8h plane, only 80% as much as the 4th; the 100th, only 80% as much as the fiftieth; and so on. Thus, the rate of learning to assemble aircraft was concluded to be 80% between doubled quantities. On an arithmetic chart, with linear coordinates, the relationship is a curve, showing a rapid initial decline that later trails off (see Figure 1A). On a double logarithmic chart, however, it is a straight declining line, which reflects a constant rate of reduction (see Figure 1B). Such a straight-line relationship is easier to draw and use for prediction purposes.
