Optimizing Standard Work Hours in Fabrication: A Multi-Attribute Decision-Making Approach Using SMART

In the fabrication industry, selecting the most suitable welding method is crucial for optimizing standard work hours (SWH) and achieving efficient resource utilization. This study aims to provide a systematic evaluation of three prevalent welding techniques—Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW), Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), and Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW)—using the Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique (SMART). The objective is to identify the welding method that best balances efficiency, complexity, weld volume, and skill requirements. The methodology involves evaluating the three welding methods based on five key criteria: Labour Efficiency (LE), Operational Efficiency (OE), Job Weight, Weld Volume, and Skill Level. Each criterion is assigned a relative weight to reflect its importance in the overall evaluation. The SMART technique is employed to aggregate these weights and assess the performance of each welding method against the criteria. The findings reveal that GMAW stands out as the most effective welding method when considering the balance of efficiency, complexity, weld volume, and required skill level. GMAW's performance surpasses that of SMAW and GTAW in terms of overall suitability for most fabrication tasks. The study concludes that GMAW is optimal for enhancing productivity and resource management in the fabrication industry. Future research could expand on this study by incorporating additional criteria that might affect welding performance, such as environmental impact or cost considerations. Additionally, applying alternative multi-criteria decision-making techniques could provide further validation of the results and offer a more comprehensive analysis of the welding methods. This would enable a more nuanced understanding of the trade-offs between different welding techniques and their applicability to various industrial contexts.