Work Measurement

Learning CurveExperience Curve

The predictable reduction in labor hours per unit as cumulative production volume increases.

The learning curve captures a robust empirical fact: each time cumulative production doubles, the labor hours (or cost) per unit fall by a roughly constant percentage — an 80% curve means hours drop to 80% of their prior level at each doubling.

It is essential for cost estimating, capacity planning, and pricing in low-volume, high-complexity industries like aerospace, where early units are far more expensive than later ones (see hours-per-unit forecasting).

Go Deeper
Learning Curve Theory guide→Production Ramp guide→
Related Terms
Time Study
Direct observation and timing of a task, broken into elements, to establish a standard time.
Standard Time
The time a qualified, trained worker should take to complete a task at a normal pace, including allowances.
Capacity Planning
Determining the production capacity an operation needs to meet changing demand across short, medium, and long horizons.
Work Sampling
A statistical technique that uses many random observations to estimate the proportion of time spent on each activity.

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