Frank and Lillian Gilbreth

FRANK and LILLIAN GILBRETH

20th CENTURY GRU'S

Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were 20th century motion study experts. Both Frank and Lillian explored and used scientific studies to make mundane jobs life easier and more efficient for the working person. In the following studies, we will look at the individual achievements of both Frank and Lillian and then their combined effort and work. We will start by examining Frank Gilbreth, as his was the shortest work, due to his untimely death in 1927.

Frank Bunker Gilbreth was born in Fairfield, Maine on July 7, 1868. As a young man Frank began his career as a bricklayer. He worked his way up through foreman and superindent. Frank left this position and started his own construction company when he was 27, (arts.arizona). Frank was obsessed with finding the best and most efficient way to do any job. Over his years in the brick laying trade Frank observed master brick masons working. Everyone did the job differently. However, it generally took 18 different movements to set one brick. Frank refined it to 4 Ð... movements. By condensing the movements down, labor (employee's) could be more productive. Frank was obsessed with finding more efficient ways to do any job.

Frank learned that less expensive labor could be used for menial tasks, thus freeing up master labors to do important work. Frank also developed different tools for the trade. Starting with and adjustable work platform called a scaffold. He made it with an adjustable shelf which permitted brick layers to have their mortar at a comfortable height instead of having to constantly bend down to retrieve the bricks and mortar. He had low price labors stack bricks in a certain way on wooden frames with the best end of the brick always in the same position, thus making the brick masons movements the same all the time. (Gilbreth network).