TY - THES A1 - Ratnayake, Osuri T1 - A time - motion study of the production process and the areas to be optimized at an Agaricus bisporus farm N2 - Despite the challenges in food production during the Covid-19 pandemic, there has been a constant demand for champignons in Germany. With the need of improving production levels, a study was conducted at an Agaricus bisporus farm located in Geldern, Germany. The farm has two sites (A/B) which follow the traditional system of harvesting, and another site (site C) which follows a technically advanced work simplification approach. Time-motion studies were carried out to determine the most time-consuming activities and the areas that needed to be improved. The continuous sample method was chosen over work sampling in this study because picker and packer tasks (at site C) were frequent. Subsequently picking efficiencies of the farm were found by empirical data collection. Finally, strategies for improving production rates were created and prioritized using a SWOT analysis in conjunction with the Internal Factors Evaluation Matrix (IFEM), External Factors Evaluation Matrix (EFEM) and Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM). Significant results were obtained at sites A/B after changes in the logistics within the production process, with picking efficiency increasing from 39% to 43%. Technical issues at site C were significantly reduced after recipe settings were changed, and picking efficiency increased from 49 percent to 54 percent. The strategy with the highest priority level from the IFEM, EFEM, SWOT, and QSPM analysis was analyzing the pickers' performance over time. Undoubtedly, further research is a driving force behind the development of novel harvesting technologies in this field of agriculture. Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-12848 ER -