History of the IMS

The first British professional body concerned wholly with Productivity was established in 1941 as the Institute of Estimators, Planning and Time Study Engineers. In the following year, Council decided to change the name of the Institute to the Institute of Economic Engineering. After the war years the Institute drew up an examination syllabus and issued the first of its monthly journals and published a standard text entitled ‘Time Study and Rate Fixing’.

During 1946 the Production Control Research Group merged with the Institute. In May 1953 the Institute changed its name to the Society of Industrial Engineers.

In parallel, the Work Study Society was formed in 1943 but in March 1944 the Society changed its name to the Motion Study Society and in April of the following year, they expanded this by calling it the Motion Study Society of Great Britain. By March 1954, it had changed its name to the Work Study Society.

In October 1956 the Society of Industrial Engineers and the Work Study Society issued their first monthly combined journal ‘Work Study and Industrial Engineering’. March 1958 saw both societies merge under the title of the Work Study Society. In May of the following year the Society again changed its name to the Institute of Work Study and in 1961 invested Russell Currie as its first president.

May 1963 saw the Institute of Work Study start negotiations for a merger with the Institute of Incorporated Work Study Technologists. This Institute had begun life in April 1945 as the Institute of Industrial Technicians with a new journal ‘The Time Study Engineer’. Again, as a qualifying body, the Institute prepared an examination syllabus and in November 1947 the first examination was held. In July 1960 this Institute changed its name to the Institute of Incorporated Work Study Technologists.

As a result of talks both Institutes decided to merge into the Institute of Work Study Practitioners on 23 December 1964.

In 1962 the Organisation and Methods Society was formed and throughout its development this new society worked closely with the Institute of Work Study Practitioners. In 1975 both bodies merged to form the Institute of Practitioners in Work Study, Organisation and Methods. Apart from its length it was evident that the title of the new Institute did not fully describe the considerably diverse interests of its members and on 1 November 1978 the Institute again changed its name to the Institute of Management Services.

At long last, after so many changes and mergers the resultant Institute now had a name which properly described its function and purpose. This name has now been in use for over 40 years and the Institute of Management Services has become one of the world’s major professional bodies dedicated to improving productivity. Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas is currently the Institute’s President.

Among our former Presidents we have been honoured by:

Russell Currie (1961-1967)

Lord Beeching (1967-1972)

H R H The Duke of Edinburgh (1972-1976)

Sir Monty Finniston (1976-1982)

The Lord Chilver of Cranfield (1983-2001)

Viscount Thurso (2002-2017)

Professor Colin Coulson-Thomas (2018-present)

The Institute’s Coat of Arms

Granted by the College of Heralds to the Institute in 1961, the heraldic theme is vigilance, learning and wisdom. Allegorically, the crane, to maintain vigilance, holds a stone in its raised claw which is supposed to fall on its other claw should it relapse into somnolence. The book symbolises learning and the owl wisdom; – the torch held by the owl represents the Institute’s objective of enlightenment. The motto, veritatem petimus ( ‘we seek truth’ ) expresses the aim of the Institute.

History of the IMS

The Institute’s Coat of Arms

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