A man-machine chart graphically represents the relationship between the manual work performed by one or more operators and one or more machines involved in a manufacturing process.

Given the different work steps required in a production process to load, operate and unload machines in conjunction with the process times of the machines themselves the man-machine chart is used to determine the highest production level that can be achieved given the resources available. This process usually involves performing as much manual work as possible internal to the machine cycles i.e. when the machine is running so that when a the machine cycle is complete the production generating machine cycle can be restarted again with as little downtime as possible.