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Could the use of ICT tools be the way to increase competitiveness in Swedish industry?
12th IFAC Symposium on Analysis, Design, and Evaluation of Human-Machine Systems August 11-15, 2013. Las Vegas, NV, USA
Could the use of ICT tools be the way to increase competitiveness in Swedish industry? M. Karlsson*, S. Mattsson**, Åsa Fast-Berglund** and Johan Stahre** *Chalmers University of Technology, Production system, Gothenburg Sweden (Tel: +4631- 7724805; e-mail: [email protected] ). **Chalmers University of Technology, Production system, Gothenburg Sweden. Abstract: When operators gain increasingly critical roles for the performance of industries, the operatorV¶ competitiveness becomes more significant in order to maintain the sustainable competitive advantages of the company. The research project µOperator of the Future¶ aims to increase the competitiveness of future Swedish operators, by providing them with advanced decision support tools. Multiple factors must be considered when specifying operator needs and designing support tools. This paper focuses on operator maturity for use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, professionally and domestically. Further, important aspects of social sustainability are discussed relative to the implementation of ICT tools. The empirical data is collected in three global Swedish production companies and analysed further as result of the paper. Keywords: Operator, social impact of automation, decision support, human-system interaction, productivity. tools can remove information access gaps, existing on a shop floor level (Emmanouilidis et al., 2009). However, obstacles for ICT implementation could arise as e.g. high investment costs, data theft, and learning time for users (Morkos et al., 2012). One advantage of using IT/IS could be the reduction of paper as an information carriers to the user. Thus, there are also environmental aspects in using ICT tools. However, technology used will also create negative impact on environment such as increased landfills, pollution etc. (Fuchs, 2008). Therefore the technology or information carrier used must be durable to gain a real effect on environmental sustainability. Efficient support and increase of the workers¶ situation awareness are likely to reduce error rates and reduce reaction times (Endsley, 1999). To manage future challenges Berlin et al. (2012) found that much support needed both directly or indirectly in order for operators to have access to information and to have the ability to communicate with co-workers and other departments. Operators need the information to make correct decisions and analysis of the situation. In environments where many users share a common work area (e.g. manufacturing stations, maintenance of machines and set-up work), user-centred information systems that adapts to user needs and preferences are important. The amount and content of information are contributors to production complexity (ElMaraghy and Urbanic, 2004) and an efficient information flow is one way to reduce this complexity. Problems related to lack of information are usually limited in current information systems. The problem is rather to find the right information when it is needed. The amount of information needed by the workers is individual
1. INTRODUCTION A central issue for Swedish production companies is to maintain their competitiveness in the future. As the world gets more globalized, companies are encountering increased competition. In addition customers are increasing their demands e.g. on response time and product variety. These factors are contributing to a higher degree of masscustomised products, which increases the required amount of information at the production site. Moving from monotone to intellectually demanding tasks, results in an increase of the importance of the operator. Hence, competitiveness of the operator is highly significant for the competitiveness of the manufacturing site and consequently for the company. In VSLWH RI WKH RSHUDWRUV¶ LPSRUWDQFH KHU ZRUN LV QRW DOZD\V carried out in the most efficient way. If the operator is inexperienced or new on the position, it might be hard to know what should be done in each situation. Instructions supporting her might not be available, hard to find, or might even be obsolete. Another obstacle to efficient work could be extensive time lags before maintenance or service personnel have a possibility to arrive and solve problems. One way to facilitate efficiency of operator work is to support them in different ways. It has been argued that both ICT tools and computer integrated manufacturing can provide great competitive advantages if the organisation is adapted to it. Flexible factories and organisations supporting cooperation between functions and a learning environment are enabling factors to utilise the possibilities with technology (Goldhar and Lei, 1995). Mobile technology may play a key role in the settings of ICT, and it has been suggested that mobile ICT 978-3-902823-41-0/2013 © IFAC
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meeting implies that it is important to do further investigations. Thus, is it possible to increase the competitiveness of Swedish industry through implementation of ICT tools and decision support to operators? This research is part of the project µThe Operator of the Future¶. It is aiming at enabling competitive Swedish production across industrial sectors. The project goal is a future Toolbox for competent individuals close to production processes. Such operators could, as discussed above, have high impact on flexibility, productivity, and quality. The future tools, studied in the project, will be based on mobile communication, decision support, and IT, enhancing operator capability and they should support the needs found in the first study (Berlin et al., 2012), mentioned above, as well as company needs found through case studies. This paper will report findings from three industrial case studies undertaken in the project. The companies are diverse in terms of context i.e. automotive industry, medical equipment and manufacturing industry. The empirical results will be discussed in terms of: if and how the need for and design of ICT tools will be influenced by: x Communication technology maturity among operators x Perceived complexity x Social sustainability x Other factors affecting the choice and use of ICT tools
and dependent on their level of expertise (Fjällström et al., 2009). The information system must also be adaptable, to suit the needs of its users in order to be efficient (Thorvald et al., 2010). According to Fässberg et al. (2010) the presentation of information can be broken down into two parts; carrier and content of information. Carrier concerns the medium of information e.g. paper, screens, and PDAs while the content concerns the mode of information e.g. text pictures, sound or movies. Information carriers can also be denoted as information and communication technology (ICT) tools. When designing support tools to the operator both carrier and content needs to be considered, in order to make the support of operator tasks as efficient as possible. Recently, research has investigated possibilities of providing different information carriers or support tools to operators. Concept studies was conducted at BMW regarding implementation of augmented reality tools to increase efficiency and decrease supervision during operator training (Morkos et al., 2012). A study aiming at simplifying the information carrier through using clearly visible colour codes instead of computer screens at an assembly line showed a significant reduction in quality problems (Bäckstrand et al., 2008). An experimental study was evaluating how different information carriers increase the usage of instructions and increase the internal quality. The information carriers evaluated were an iPod touch and a static screen (Thorvald et al., 2010). Another study investigated the possibility to improve the information and communication through using the ICT tools: iPod touch and iPhone (Fässberg et al., 2010). One reason for focusing on ICT tools in manufacturing environments is that the importance of information to the operator has been overlooked by industry. There has also been a huge development in ICT tools outside industry in the last decade. Important factors to consider when developing the enterprise are the operators and their work environment as well as future operators and possibilities to attract them. This can be referred to as parts of social sustainability. There is no clear definition about social sustainability. However, it has been stated to include ergonomics, physical and social environment (Kira and van Eijnatten, 2010). Further work has been conducted to develop a framework for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in which social sustainability is included. Some of the points encompassed in management of the human capital are the employees lifelong learning, workforce security, empowerment of employees and a good work life balance (European_Commission, 2001). Other aspects included were better information flow through the company and when restructuring the company it should be done with balance and consideration to the interests and concerns of those affected by the change (European_Commission, 2001). It has been stated that ICT can effect social sustainability by improving ergonomics and by creating a proactive work setting (Fässberg et al., 2010). The possible implications of ICT tools on social sustainability are considered to be important and should be studied more. The suggested benefits of the ICT tools together with the increasingly competitive context Swedish companies are
1.1 Delimitations As seen above social sustainability is a large area encompassing a vast variety of aspects. This paper is delimited to considering aspects within the company, thus the society at large is left out. Neither are the ergonomic aspects considered since it is thought they are better discussed for specific ICT solutions. 2. DATA COLLECTION The data was gathered from three case studies with surveys, semi structured interviews and observations. The companies were chosen due to their different contexts, the difference in operations and their willingness to work with improvements of the production. The product flow was investigated to get DQ RYHUYLHZ DQG XQGHUVWDQGLQJ IRU WKH RSHUDWRUV¶ ZRUN settings. 2.1 Observations At the workstations selected for this research, the interaction between the operator and support functions as well as the interaction between human and machine was studied. This was conducted through observations of the work tasks carried out and in connection to this semi structured interviews to follow up the observations. The observations were later used as a basis for the interviews. 2.2 Surveys Two surveys have been used in order to collect data from the companies: technology use and a method for assessing 180
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complexity in operators work environment using index-based assessments. Technology use A survey, created for the project, was handed out to operators and other personnel connected to them. The survey consisted of six questions where answers should be circled. The three first to sort the results based on age group, gender and profession. The three last questions concerned which technology they use at home and at work and if something would benefit their work. The three last questions (translated from Swedish): x Which aids do you use to communicate in your work; call, write notes, e-mail, whiteboard, SMS, meetings planed or unplanned, x Which technology do you use at home; Call, writing notes, Facebook, Viber/skype, Instagram, Dropbox, MMS, SMS, E-mail and Discussion forums. x What would benefit you in your work; sending text messages, sending movie, sending picture, sending position, or something else. The aim of this survey was to get a first impression of which interfaces and technologies the operators are familiar with, as well as to get an idea of the differences in adaptation and usage of communication tools between industry and at home. Further investigations were then carried out through the interviews. CompleXity Index - CXI A method to measure the complexity perceived by the operator was used in order to gain knowledge of current and future support needs. In these studies a method called complexity index (CXI) was used. CXI is a rather short survey, encompassing 26 questions, treating several of the opHUDWRUV¶ ZRUN DUHDV SURGXFW DQG YDULDQWV ZRUN FRQWHQW layout of the cell or station, tools and support tools. The method was developed by (Mattsson et al., 2011). The results are displayed in a colour-matrix per question area, in a 1 to 5 scale (Likert-scale). Results below 2 are not considered complex, between 2 and 3 are moderately complex and above 3 are complex. The results are visual since the colours indicate the level of urgency for change (if a problem area is complex for instance). Managers for the departments handed out both surveys to personnel involved in the investigated areas, which resulted in a high response rate. The CXI survey has only been conducted at company A and C (due to time limitations the CXI survey could not be finalised at company B before this paper was written).
Do you have any specific responsibility, apart from the normal work? x Are complete work instructions available for your tasks? x How do you communicate between shifts? x Is it easy to contact someone to get help with unplanned events? The operators were in most cases selected by management in some cases the researchers asked for respondents based on previous interviews. x
3. RESULTS 3.1 Case introduction The companies are classified according to batch sizes, QXPEHU RI SURGXFW YDULDQWV DQG WKH RSHUDWRU¶V OHYHO RI expertise, seen in Table 1. The three cases have different scopes, decided together with the companies. In case A and B it is to further empower the operators working at specific cells while case C has a dual aim to both empower the operator and improve the maintenance efficiency. Table 1 Classification and comparison of case companies Company A
Product variants Many
Batch size Small
B C
Many Few
Small Large
Operators expertise Mix, many Experts Experts Mix
The operators in the companies are working under different circumstances (see Table 1). It can also be seen that the operators have different levels of expertise, where for instance operators in company B have the highest level of experience. A common thing between the companies is the extensive use of paper instructions. The 2D drawings, if used, are in paper format. In one company 3D CAD drawings are provided if needed and asked for by the operator. In neither of the companies instant sending of pictures are used. At company A, all systems creating instructions and machine programs are connected and it is possible to digitalise the information. Several systems not connected to each other with different usability areas are used in the other companies. The rejection rates are rather low in company A and B, approximately 2%, while it is somewhat higher in company C. Morning meetings and when applicable shift exchange meetings are held in all companies to among other things inform the operator on upcoming production and to discuss errors and production rates. One of the companies, company A, has a special culture with a high degree of cooperation and oral knowledge transformation, inside each workgroup. Operators are encouraged to engage in developing the company culture as well as their work tasks and company performance.
2.3 Interviews Semi structured interviews were carried out with some of the operators to get a better insight on the operation methods and possible improvements. Questions about their work, content and use of information, communication within and outside the operator group and possible improvements were addressed. How ICT tools are used was also touched upon to get a somewhat wider perspective. Examples on questions asked (translated from Swedish);
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Table 3 Complexity Index measured per case Area/ station
Case A Case C
Product/variant
4,42
4,00
Work content
2,17
2,40
Layout Tools and support tools
1,67
2,75
1,58
2,20
Work instructions
2,25
2,10
Overall picture
2,75
3,22
CXI
3,31
3,58
³I am not able to bring the instructions with me since the instructions are hard to handle (a heavy book) and sometimes I need them ´ ³,I WKLQJV DUH XQFOHDU RQ KRZ WR GR ZH FDOO DQRWKHU RSHUDWRU stationed where the instructions are, who will look in the instructions RU LQ VRPH FRPSXWHU V\VWHPV ´ (Operators in company B) In both company A and B, there is a strong oral culture where the operators communicate within their departments and some with production technicians and similar. Case C has some of the above, mostly the communication among operators, though the culture is, by the authors, not perceived to be as strong as for the other two. However there is some lack of communication between departments in company A. The strong oral tradition can be seen in statements like those below. ³,I RQH RI XV LV ZRUNLQJ DW WKH ZHHNHQG ZH FDOO WKH RWKHUV WR tell them about the status and different problems so they know this when they arrive´. ³,I , GR QRW NQRZ ZKDW WR GR , VLPSO\ WDON WR RU FDOO VRPHRQH HOVH´ (Operators at company A). The operators find it insufficient to write some short notes on a paper for the operator on the next shift. This is valid for both weekends and between evening and morning shifts since there is no night shift. The operators have recognized the need for other types of support: ³, ZRXOG OLNH WR KDYH SLFWXUHV RU GUDZLQJV Zhere you are able to zoom in and out to get a better understanding of the DVVHPEO\´ ³6RPHWLPHV LW ZRXOG EH JRRG WR EH DEOH WR VHQG D SLFWXUH DQG see if it is as the production technician SODQHG´ (Operators at company B). Several thoughts have been raised about usefulness of remote access to the machines, see below statement. It is also desired to see where in the process flow the machine or product is. ³,W ZRXOG EH JRRG WR KDYH DFFHVV WR WKH PDFKLQH LQWHUIDFH ZKHQ \RX DUH QRW DW WKH PDFKLQH OLNH RQ D VPDUW SKRQH´ (Operator at company A). However, during interviews another issue was raised. This was the difficulties in making other people understand the problem and how it looks, when speaking in the telephone, to get accurate help. Operator at company B said; ³,W LV KDUG WR FRPPXQLFDWH WKH LVVXHV WR RWKHUV QRW SUHVHQW DW WKH VWDWLRQ´
The perception of different areas varied in case A from low to high complexity, the design of layout and support tools is satisfactory while the product area is very complex. All areas, in case C, are perceived to be at least moderately complex. The work instructions, work content, and the tools and support tools are considered to be the areas best designed with moderately complexity (values between 2,1 and 2,4) while the product/variant area is the most complex one (with a value of 4,0). The operators state that the complexity and the problem solving it brings, in most cases is an advantage. Most of the operators like the challenges but the new ones sometimes have a hard time trying to solve them. 3.4 Interviews From the interviews a great amount of information was derived of which some is presented here. A total of 22 interviews were conducted, the division among companies and age groups are seen in Table 4. Table 4 Number of interview respondents in each age group Age 18 - 35 36 - 55 55 + Total
Case A 3 6 1 10
Case B 0 7 0 7
Case C 2 3 0 5
Total 5 16 1 22
It was seen that there are no adaptations of the information to different operators e.g. different skill levels at the three companies. Experienced operators will usually not read the full instructions and inexperienced operators do sometimes not have enough information. It has been stated that short guides could be good for some commonly occurring issues: ³When producing the first piece in an order I do not always know how to make corrections if the measurement is wrong, since I am new. It would be good to have short guides for WKHVH WKLQJV DQG IRU FRPPRQ HUURUV´ 2SHUDWRU DW FRPSDQ\ A). In some cases not only the new but also the experienced operators would like to have improved and available instructions:
4. DISCUSSION 4.1 ICT Maturity among operators The answers from the study of ICT maturity among operators were divided in groups solely based on age. Thus, factors like company and gender were not considered. Overall the survey was answered by roughly three times as many men as women (in two companies more men answered and in the third company more women answered the survey). However when analysing the data no differences in trends were seen between the genders. In this study women and men seemed to use ICT-tools to the same extent. This also made it possible to
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(Thorvald et al., 2010). Several of the operators have during interviews expressed their desire to have instructions at hand when needed. An improved ICT tool is not thought to have a significant effect on quality in these companies, since the rejection rates are low. Where rejection rates are higher it is thought to have a significant impact especially when many of the errors are derived from human mistakes. Though, in the cases where products are reworked if rejected the time spent on this would decrease and make a more significant impact, since the rework time is often long. It might also speed up the work if the need to contact others to confirm tasks decreases or disappears. If this will have a significant impact or not is unclear since no time measurements has been gathered. Communication and information sharing at one of the cases, A, is widespread within the departments. However, information and knowledge sharing as well as communication between departments are very low. As stated by an operator in company A; ³:H GR QRW NQRZ LI RWKHU GHSDUWPHQWV KDYH KDG WKH VDPH NLQG RI SUREOHP RU KRZ WKH\ VROYHG LW´. There are possibilities to implement ICT tools enabling this, for example tools facilitating communication even without physical proximity (examples could be chat functions). This would enable a more open environment with larger integration within the company. A problem with a strong oral culture is that it is hard to capture tacit knowledge, it might be transmitted to other operators orally but it is hard to accomplish a wider spread of it. Knowledge sharing between departments could be enhanced through ICT-tools where operators could upload information. An increased knowledge sharing has a possible advantage of transforming the knowledge single operators have, tacit knowledge, to a commonly available knowledge. Despite importance of information adaptation (Fjällström et al., 2009) there are no adaptations of the information to the operator going to use it in any of the companies. One effect of experienced operators neglecting to use the instructions is, as stated by an operator; ³, ZRXOG SUREDEO\ QRW NQRZ LI WKH LQVWUXFWLRQV DUH XSGDWHG VLQFH , GR QRW ORRN DW WKHP UHJXODUO\´ An ICT tool could be constructed so it could display different kinds of information to the operators depending on their tasks, knowledge level and special responsibilities. Tools FRXOG DOVR EH GHVLJQHG WR FDWFK RSHUDWRUV¶ DWWHQWLRQ ZKHQ new information is available (Fässberg et al., 2010),(Fjällström et al., 2009). Further, a mobile device is shown to be used more often, this could be related to the theory of cost-benefit e.g how much effort does it take to look for information related to the benefit you get as an operator (Jonides and Mack, 1984), if the operator thinks that he gain more time to guess (use his own experience) rather than look at instructions, than the instructions will not be used, previous cases show that this is true in over 80 % of the assembly tasks (Fasth-Berglund and Stahre, 2013). If the ICT-tool is developed with these issues in mind, operators might use instructions to a higher extent and the time spent on small errors could be reduced. If enabling pictures or videos to be sent the time consuming explanations, to make the other person understand the issue,
use a few surveys were the gender information was missing, approximately 15% of the surveys. Company belonging was not considered though the usage of information carriers can be thought to vary between the companies and between operator roles. The usage of ICTtools at home did not vary between the companies. The focus here is laid on the operator role in general and therefore company belonging is not considered. The age factor seemed most important when looking at the future operator, since it was also believed that different groups adopt technology differently. However, not enough of data could be retrieved to draw any clear conclusions on this. The 36-55 age group has, as seen in the results, adopted several of the technologies in the survey. This indicates that these operators are familiar with different types of user interfaces. This is valuable information when creating ICT tools since it might be easier to gain operator acceptance if they are used to learn new interfaces. Acceptance is also thought to be gained when functions and interfaces seem familiar. The usage of more advanced communication tools, than pen and paper is higher at home than at work for most of the technologies investigated. In the middle age group the share using email is about 20% higher at home than at work. SMS and MMS are hardly used at all in work situation so the adaptation at home is between 100% and 40 % higher, for operators between 36 and 55. This indicates that the industry is not in the front edge in adopting ICT than society at large. A counterargument is that technology per se does not give any advantages and that companies therefore do not have to adopt new ICT tools. During the studies it was seen that the participating companies had previously not worked much with tools for information and communication. The lack of investigations on the benefits of operators using ICT tools also indicates that the industry is slower in adapting these tools than society. The higher adaptation of ICT at home is suggested to be an advantage for the adaptation of ICT tools at work. 4.2 Complexity From Table 3 it can be seen that the product and variant area is complex for both cases. Though experienced operators might not look at the instructions this implies that work instructions are important, especially for new operators and when new tasks are introduced (which is often due to the high flexibility and low production volume for mass-customized products). In both cases the work instructions are not perceived as sufficiently effective by operators. This shows that the work instructions have to be improved, which could be carried out in several ways. One way is to investigate if another type of carrier ICT tool could improve the instructions and the use of them. The content is in some cases may also need a revision, to keep the information up to date and present it effectively. 4.3 Interviews Having instructions at the right place and being able to fast double check has been seen to decrease quality problems 184
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Very important factors for the ICT tools and the success of them are also a proper investigation of the specific operator needs and a good implementation.
are thought to decrease and problems could be resolved faster. 4.4 Social Sustainability
4.6 ICT tools impact on competitiveness
ICT tools are believed to enhance several aspects of social sustainability related to information and communication. It could increase the flow and availability of information to the operator, which could increase his awareness and knowledge of company specific issues. Other effects could be the operator feeling overwhelmed with information and therefore losing interest in it. Directional duplex information and communication flow could be used allowing the operator to respond to or inform others on issues of importance. It is thought that some of the tacit knowledge could be captured this way. An ICT tool giving the operators further knowledge and a holistic view can enhance their feeling of participation and can allow for better and more informed decisions to be made. This would lead to more empowered operators, which is considered to be one part in CSR and social sustainability (European_Commission, 2001). Several aspects of social sustainability are thought to be positively affected by an implementation of ICT tools while others are not anticipated to be affected at all. For example the balance between work and private life should not be affected, provided the new tools are left at work. Neither are WRROV WKRXJKW WR DIIHFW FRPSDQLHV¶ DFWLRQV ZKLOH reconfiguring the business. It is also unsure how work force security would be affected. The oral tradition in two of the companies is strong and there is a possibility to expand the communication through ICT tools. Employees not working close enough for face-to-face discussions could exchange information in different ways (telephone is already used for some exchange). An example is company A where ICT could be used it to further enhance the communication and thus supporting an oral tradition. It is believed that ICT tools in this way could be an enabler of company culture, further extending it.
In the previous discussion some benefits of using and improving ICT tools has been seen e.g. reduce rejection rates, capture tacit knowledge and increase communication efficiency. These are promising results indicating that there are benefits to be gained from improving usage of ICT tools. Though ICT tools alone are expected to result in improvements the largest gains in operator competitiveness are anticipated when the instructions are also reworked. If the indicated increase in operator competitiveness is HQRXJK WR LQFUHDVH FRPSDQLHV¶ FRPSHWLWLYHQHVV ZLOO OLNHO\ vary from case to case, as previously seen some ICT studies were seen as successes (Bäckstrand et al., 2008) and some as failures (Morkos et al., 2012). Though, it is thought that if improvements in ICT solutions and information structures are made further benefits could be gained from organisational restructurings e.g. operators work content might be changed to encompass larger responsibility. Factors like social sustainability should not be neglected when considering FRPSDQLHV¶ FRPSHWLWLYHQHVV IRU H[DPSOH WKH DELOLW\ WR DWWUDFW competent work force. 4.7 Validity Since the survey on ICT usage at home and at work has only been answered by a limited number of people at a limited number of companies, the results should be regarded as indicative of a trend rather than generalizable at this stage. However, the method of investigation appears readily transferable to other industrial contexts. Sorting operator answers from the survey on ICT maturity by age group and disregarding which company they are from was done to focus on the operator groups as a whole, but has its limitations. The possibility of comparing results between companies is lost and skewed results from one company will affect the results. This study of ICT maturity is a first in a series of planned studies and it is also suggested that deeper studies on how the technology and tools are used have to be carried out to be able to make stronger conclusions. When moving on to create specifications for ICT tools the needs will have to be further detailed.
4.5 Factors affecting the tools to use and their features ,Q WKH LQWHUYLHZV D GLIIHUHQFH LQ RSHUDWRUV¶ LQWHUHVW WR XVH systems and support tools has been noticed, this will most likely affect the way in which the tool is used. Different tasks performed might also put different requirements on physical design of the tool, e.g. size, placement and liquid resistance. Thus, the operator using the tool will affect its performance, which is in line with previous studies (Fjällström et al., 2009). The overall aim of the project is to support the future operator. However, to support the future operator it has to be known who it will be and which tasks will be performed. For obvious reasons these things are hard to know, as usually said about forecasts the only thing which is sure is that they are not accurate. To minimize the efforts to adapt the tools when introducing new things e.g. products, operators or tasks the tools needs to be sufficiently flexible and possible to adapt to several situations.
5. CONCLUSIONS The maturity of ICT usage among operators seems to be higher at their leisure time than at work, but needs further investigation. Further, complex work tasks will increase the need for decision support tools, especially for new operators. The social sustainability of companies could be positively impacted by implementation of an ICT tool. Aspects like empowerment and participation of operators are thought to LQFUHDVH ,&7 WRROV FRXOG DOVR EH XVHG WR HQKDQFH FRPSDQLHV¶ knowledge base, capturing some of the experienced RSHUDWRUV¶ WDFLW NQRZOHGJH
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EUROPEAN_COMMISSION 2001. Promoting a European framework for Corporate Social Responsibility. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
Uncertainty about who the future operator is and what tasks he/she will perform should be solved through adaptability of content and support. Factors like competence and culture will also have an impact on the support that current and future operators will need. The results are promising and indicate that improvements in ICT tools could contribute to an increased competitiveness in Swedish industry.
FASTH-BERGLUND, Å. & STAHRE, J. 2013. COGNITIVE AUTOMATION STRATEGY -FOR RECONFIGURABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS. Assembly Automation, 33. FJÄLLSTRÖM, S., SÄFSTEN, K., HARLIN, U. & STAHRE, J. 2009. Information enabling production ramp-up. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 20, 178-196.
5.1 Future work The survey has provided a promising initial basis for better understanding of ICT tool use among operators in their daily lives, and therefore further investigation at the respective companies regarding adaptation of communication technology at home and at work could be desirable. It would lead to knowledge about differences in ICT adaptation in industry versus at home, which can be leveraged for development of tools.
FUCHS, C. 2008. The implications of new information and communication technologies for sustainability. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 10, 291-309. FÄSSBERG, T., NORDIN, G., FASTH, Å. & STAHRE, J. iPod touch±an ICT tool for operators in factories of the future? Proceedings of 43rd CIRP International Conference on Manufacturing Systems 2010, 2010.
6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research is part of a VINNOVA funded project, the Operator of the Future. The work has been carried out within the Production Area of Advance at Chalmers. The support is gratefully acknowledged. We are also grateful to the companies participating in this research, Sandvik Coromant, Dentsply, LKAB , Boliden, Volvo Group, Volvo Car Corporation, and SKF for their time and efforts.
GOLDHAR, J. D. & LEI, D. 1995. Variety is free: Manufacturing in the twenty-first century. Academy of Management Executive, 9, 73-86. JONIDES, J. & MACK, R. 1984. On the cost and benefit of cost and benefit. Psychological Bulletin, 96, 29-44. KIRA, M. & VAN EIJNATTEN, F. M. 2010. Socially sustainable work organizations and systems thinking. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 27, 713-721.
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EMMANOUILIDIS, C., LIYANAGE, J. P. & JANTUNEN, E. 2009. Mobile solutions for engineering asset and maintenance management. Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, 15, 92-105. ENDSLEY, M. R. Situation awareness and human error: Designing to support human performance. Proceedings of the High Consequence Systems Surety Conference, 1999. Lawrence Eribaum Associates.
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Could the use of ICT tools be the way to increase competitiveness in Swedish industry? M. Karlsson*, S. Mattsson**, Åsa Fast-Berglund** and Johan Stahre** *Chalmers University of Technology, Production system, Gothenburg Sweden (Tel: +4631- 7724805; e-mail: [email protected] ). **Chalmers University of Technology, Production system, Gothenburg Sweden. Abstract: When operators gain increasingly critical roles for the performance of industries, the operatorV¶ competitiveness becomes more significant in order to maintain the sustainable competitive advantages of the company. The research project µOperator of the Future¶ aims to increase the competitiveness of future Swedish operators, by providing them with advanced decision support tools. Multiple factors must be considered when specifying operator needs and designing support tools. This paper focuses on operator maturity for use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, professionally and domestically. Further, important aspects of social sustainability are discussed relative to the implementation of ICT tools. The empirical data is collected in three global Swedish production companies and analysed further as result of the paper. Keywords: Operator, social impact of automation, decision support, human-system interaction, productivity. tools can remove information access gaps, existing on a shop floor level (Emmanouilidis et al., 2009). However, obstacles for ICT implementation could arise as e.g. high investment costs, data theft, and learning time for users (Morkos et al., 2012). One advantage of using IT/IS could be the reduction of paper as an information carriers to the user. Thus, there are also environmental aspects in using ICT tools. However, technology used will also create negative impact on environment such as increased landfills, pollution etc. (Fuchs, 2008). Therefore the technology or information carrier used must be durable to gain a real effect on environmental sustainability. Efficient support and increase of the workers¶ situation awareness are likely to reduce error rates and reduce reaction times (Endsley, 1999). To manage future challenges Berlin et al. (2012) found that much support needed both directly or indirectly in order for operators to have access to information and to have the ability to communicate with co-workers and other departments. Operators need the information to make correct decisions and analysis of the situation. In environments where many users share a common work area (e.g. manufacturing stations, maintenance of machines and set-up work), user-centred information systems that adapts to user needs and preferences are important. The amount and content of information are contributors to production complexity (ElMaraghy and Urbanic, 2004) and an efficient information flow is one way to reduce this complexity. Problems related to lack of information are usually limited in current information systems. The problem is rather to find the right information when it is needed. The amount of information needed by the workers is individual
1. INTRODUCTION A central issue for Swedish production companies is to maintain their competitiveness in the future. As the world gets more globalized, companies are encountering increased competition. In addition customers are increasing their demands e.g. on response time and product variety. These factors are contributing to a higher degree of masscustomised products, which increases the required amount of information at the production site. Moving from monotone to intellectually demanding tasks, results in an increase of the importance of the operator. Hence, competitiveness of the operator is highly significant for the competitiveness of the manufacturing site and consequently for the company. In VSLWH RI WKH RSHUDWRUV¶ LPSRUWDQFH KHU ZRUN LV QRW DOZD\V carried out in the most efficient way. If the operator is inexperienced or new on the position, it might be hard to know what should be done in each situation. Instructions supporting her might not be available, hard to find, or might even be obsolete. Another obstacle to efficient work could be extensive time lags before maintenance or service personnel have a possibility to arrive and solve problems. One way to facilitate efficiency of operator work is to support them in different ways. It has been argued that both ICT tools and computer integrated manufacturing can provide great competitive advantages if the organisation is adapted to it. Flexible factories and organisations supporting cooperation between functions and a learning environment are enabling factors to utilise the possibilities with technology (Goldhar and Lei, 1995). Mobile technology may play a key role in the settings of ICT, and it has been suggested that mobile ICT 978-3-902823-41-0/2013 © IFAC
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meeting implies that it is important to do further investigations. Thus, is it possible to increase the competitiveness of Swedish industry through implementation of ICT tools and decision support to operators? This research is part of the project µThe Operator of the Future¶. It is aiming at enabling competitive Swedish production across industrial sectors. The project goal is a future Toolbox for competent individuals close to production processes. Such operators could, as discussed above, have high impact on flexibility, productivity, and quality. The future tools, studied in the project, will be based on mobile communication, decision support, and IT, enhancing operator capability and they should support the needs found in the first study (Berlin et al., 2012), mentioned above, as well as company needs found through case studies. This paper will report findings from three industrial case studies undertaken in the project. The companies are diverse in terms of context i.e. automotive industry, medical equipment and manufacturing industry. The empirical results will be discussed in terms of: if and how the need for and design of ICT tools will be influenced by: x Communication technology maturity among operators x Perceived complexity x Social sustainability x Other factors affecting the choice and use of ICT tools
and dependent on their level of expertise (Fjällström et al., 2009). The information system must also be adaptable, to suit the needs of its users in order to be efficient (Thorvald et al., 2010). According to Fässberg et al. (2010) the presentation of information can be broken down into two parts; carrier and content of information. Carrier concerns the medium of information e.g. paper, screens, and PDAs while the content concerns the mode of information e.g. text pictures, sound or movies. Information carriers can also be denoted as information and communication technology (ICT) tools. When designing support tools to the operator both carrier and content needs to be considered, in order to make the support of operator tasks as efficient as possible. Recently, research has investigated possibilities of providing different information carriers or support tools to operators. Concept studies was conducted at BMW regarding implementation of augmented reality tools to increase efficiency and decrease supervision during operator training (Morkos et al., 2012). A study aiming at simplifying the information carrier through using clearly visible colour codes instead of computer screens at an assembly line showed a significant reduction in quality problems (Bäckstrand et al., 2008). An experimental study was evaluating how different information carriers increase the usage of instructions and increase the internal quality. The information carriers evaluated were an iPod touch and a static screen (Thorvald et al., 2010). Another study investigated the possibility to improve the information and communication through using the ICT tools: iPod touch and iPhone (Fässberg et al., 2010). One reason for focusing on ICT tools in manufacturing environments is that the importance of information to the operator has been overlooked by industry. There has also been a huge development in ICT tools outside industry in the last decade. Important factors to consider when developing the enterprise are the operators and their work environment as well as future operators and possibilities to attract them. This can be referred to as parts of social sustainability. There is no clear definition about social sustainability. However, it has been stated to include ergonomics, physical and social environment (Kira and van Eijnatten, 2010). Further work has been conducted to develop a framework for corporate social responsibility (CSR) in which social sustainability is included. Some of the points encompassed in management of the human capital are the employees lifelong learning, workforce security, empowerment of employees and a good work life balance (European_Commission, 2001). Other aspects included were better information flow through the company and when restructuring the company it should be done with balance and consideration to the interests and concerns of those affected by the change (European_Commission, 2001). It has been stated that ICT can effect social sustainability by improving ergonomics and by creating a proactive work setting (Fässberg et al., 2010). The possible implications of ICT tools on social sustainability are considered to be important and should be studied more. The suggested benefits of the ICT tools together with the increasingly competitive context Swedish companies are
1.1 Delimitations As seen above social sustainability is a large area encompassing a vast variety of aspects. This paper is delimited to considering aspects within the company, thus the society at large is left out. Neither are the ergonomic aspects considered since it is thought they are better discussed for specific ICT solutions. 2. DATA COLLECTION The data was gathered from three case studies with surveys, semi structured interviews and observations. The companies were chosen due to their different contexts, the difference in operations and their willingness to work with improvements of the production. The product flow was investigated to get DQ RYHUYLHZ DQG XQGHUVWDQGLQJ IRU WKH RSHUDWRUV¶ ZRUN settings. 2.1 Observations At the workstations selected for this research, the interaction between the operator and support functions as well as the interaction between human and machine was studied. This was conducted through observations of the work tasks carried out and in connection to this semi structured interviews to follow up the observations. The observations were later used as a basis for the interviews. 2.2 Surveys Two surveys have been used in order to collect data from the companies: technology use and a method for assessing 180
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complexity in operators work environment using index-based assessments. Technology use A survey, created for the project, was handed out to operators and other personnel connected to them. The survey consisted of six questions where answers should be circled. The three first to sort the results based on age group, gender and profession. The three last questions concerned which technology they use at home and at work and if something would benefit their work. The three last questions (translated from Swedish): x Which aids do you use to communicate in your work; call, write notes, e-mail, whiteboard, SMS, meetings planed or unplanned, x Which technology do you use at home; Call, writing notes, Facebook, Viber/skype, Instagram, Dropbox, MMS, SMS, E-mail and Discussion forums. x What would benefit you in your work; sending text messages, sending movie, sending picture, sending position, or something else. The aim of this survey was to get a first impression of which interfaces and technologies the operators are familiar with, as well as to get an idea of the differences in adaptation and usage of communication tools between industry and at home. Further investigations were then carried out through the interviews. CompleXity Index - CXI A method to measure the complexity perceived by the operator was used in order to gain knowledge of current and future support needs. In these studies a method called complexity index (CXI) was used. CXI is a rather short survey, encompassing 26 questions, treating several of the opHUDWRUV¶ ZRUN DUHDV SURGXFW DQG YDULDQWV ZRUN FRQWHQW layout of the cell or station, tools and support tools. The method was developed by (Mattsson et al., 2011). The results are displayed in a colour-matrix per question area, in a 1 to 5 scale (Likert-scale). Results below 2 are not considered complex, between 2 and 3 are moderately complex and above 3 are complex. The results are visual since the colours indicate the level of urgency for change (if a problem area is complex for instance). Managers for the departments handed out both surveys to personnel involved in the investigated areas, which resulted in a high response rate. The CXI survey has only been conducted at company A and C (due to time limitations the CXI survey could not be finalised at company B before this paper was written).
Do you have any specific responsibility, apart from the normal work? x Are complete work instructions available for your tasks? x How do you communicate between shifts? x Is it easy to contact someone to get help with unplanned events? The operators were in most cases selected by management in some cases the researchers asked for respondents based on previous interviews. x
3. RESULTS 3.1 Case introduction The companies are classified according to batch sizes, QXPEHU RI SURGXFW YDULDQWV DQG WKH RSHUDWRU¶V OHYHO RI expertise, seen in Table 1. The three cases have different scopes, decided together with the companies. In case A and B it is to further empower the operators working at specific cells while case C has a dual aim to both empower the operator and improve the maintenance efficiency. Table 1 Classification and comparison of case companies Company A
Product variants Many
Batch size Small
B C
Many Few
Small Large
Operators expertise Mix, many Experts Experts Mix
The operators in the companies are working under different circumstances (see Table 1). It can also be seen that the operators have different levels of expertise, where for instance operators in company B have the highest level of experience. A common thing between the companies is the extensive use of paper instructions. The 2D drawings, if used, are in paper format. In one company 3D CAD drawings are provided if needed and asked for by the operator. In neither of the companies instant sending of pictures are used. At company A, all systems creating instructions and machine programs are connected and it is possible to digitalise the information. Several systems not connected to each other with different usability areas are used in the other companies. The rejection rates are rather low in company A and B, approximately 2%, while it is somewhat higher in company C. Morning meetings and when applicable shift exchange meetings are held in all companies to among other things inform the operator on upcoming production and to discuss errors and production rates. One of the companies, company A, has a special culture with a high degree of cooperation and oral knowledge transformation, inside each workgroup. Operators are encouraged to engage in developing the company culture as well as their work tasks and company performance.
2.3 Interviews Semi structured interviews were carried out with some of the operators to get a better insight on the operation methods and possible improvements. Questions about their work, content and use of information, communication within and outside the operator group and possible improvements were addressed. How ICT tools are used was also touched upon to get a somewhat wider perspective. Examples on questions asked (translated from Swedish);
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Table 3 Complexity Index measured per case Area/ station
Case A Case C
Product/variant
4,42
4,00
Work content
2,17
2,40
Layout Tools and support tools
1,67
2,75
1,58
2,20
Work instructions
2,25
2,10
Overall picture
2,75
3,22
CXI
3,31
3,58
³I am not able to bring the instructions with me since the instructions are hard to handle (a heavy book) and sometimes I need them ´ ³,I WKLQJV DUH XQFOHDU RQ KRZ WR GR ZH FDOO DQRWKHU RSHUDWRU stationed where the instructions are, who will look in the instructions RU LQ VRPH FRPSXWHU V\VWHPV ´ (Operators in company B) In both company A and B, there is a strong oral culture where the operators communicate within their departments and some with production technicians and similar. Case C has some of the above, mostly the communication among operators, though the culture is, by the authors, not perceived to be as strong as for the other two. However there is some lack of communication between departments in company A. The strong oral tradition can be seen in statements like those below. ³,I RQH RI XV LV ZRUNLQJ DW WKH ZHHNHQG ZH FDOO WKH RWKHUV WR tell them about the status and different problems so they know this when they arrive´. ³,I , GR QRW NQRZ ZKDW WR GR , VLPSO\ WDON WR RU FDOO VRPHRQH HOVH´ (Operators at company A). The operators find it insufficient to write some short notes on a paper for the operator on the next shift. This is valid for both weekends and between evening and morning shifts since there is no night shift. The operators have recognized the need for other types of support: ³, ZRXOG OLNH WR KDYH SLFWXUHV RU GUDZLQJV Zhere you are able to zoom in and out to get a better understanding of the DVVHPEO\´ ³6RPHWLPHV LW ZRXOG EH JRRG WR EH DEOH WR VHQG D SLFWXUH DQG see if it is as the production technician SODQHG´ (Operators at company B). Several thoughts have been raised about usefulness of remote access to the machines, see below statement. It is also desired to see where in the process flow the machine or product is. ³,W ZRXOG EH JRRG WR KDYH DFFHVV WR WKH PDFKLQH LQWHUIDFH ZKHQ \RX DUH QRW DW WKH PDFKLQH OLNH RQ D VPDUW SKRQH´ (Operator at company A). However, during interviews another issue was raised. This was the difficulties in making other people understand the problem and how it looks, when speaking in the telephone, to get accurate help. Operator at company B said; ³,W LV KDUG WR FRPPXQLFDWH WKH LVVXHV WR RWKHUV QRW SUHVHQW DW WKH VWDWLRQ´
The perception of different areas varied in case A from low to high complexity, the design of layout and support tools is satisfactory while the product area is very complex. All areas, in case C, are perceived to be at least moderately complex. The work instructions, work content, and the tools and support tools are considered to be the areas best designed with moderately complexity (values between 2,1 and 2,4) while the product/variant area is the most complex one (with a value of 4,0). The operators state that the complexity and the problem solving it brings, in most cases is an advantage. Most of the operators like the challenges but the new ones sometimes have a hard time trying to solve them. 3.4 Interviews From the interviews a great amount of information was derived of which some is presented here. A total of 22 interviews were conducted, the division among companies and age groups are seen in Table 4. Table 4 Number of interview respondents in each age group Age 18 - 35 36 - 55 55 + Total
Case A 3 6 1 10
Case B 0 7 0 7
Case C 2 3 0 5
Total 5 16 1 22
It was seen that there are no adaptations of the information to different operators e.g. different skill levels at the three companies. Experienced operators will usually not read the full instructions and inexperienced operators do sometimes not have enough information. It has been stated that short guides could be good for some commonly occurring issues: ³When producing the first piece in an order I do not always know how to make corrections if the measurement is wrong, since I am new. It would be good to have short guides for WKHVH WKLQJV DQG IRU FRPPRQ HUURUV´ 2SHUDWRU DW FRPSDQ\ A). In some cases not only the new but also the experienced operators would like to have improved and available instructions:
4. DISCUSSION 4.1 ICT Maturity among operators The answers from the study of ICT maturity among operators were divided in groups solely based on age. Thus, factors like company and gender were not considered. Overall the survey was answered by roughly three times as many men as women (in two companies more men answered and in the third company more women answered the survey). However when analysing the data no differences in trends were seen between the genders. In this study women and men seemed to use ICT-tools to the same extent. This also made it possible to
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(Thorvald et al., 2010). Several of the operators have during interviews expressed their desire to have instructions at hand when needed. An improved ICT tool is not thought to have a significant effect on quality in these companies, since the rejection rates are low. Where rejection rates are higher it is thought to have a significant impact especially when many of the errors are derived from human mistakes. Though, in the cases where products are reworked if rejected the time spent on this would decrease and make a more significant impact, since the rework time is often long. It might also speed up the work if the need to contact others to confirm tasks decreases or disappears. If this will have a significant impact or not is unclear since no time measurements has been gathered. Communication and information sharing at one of the cases, A, is widespread within the departments. However, information and knowledge sharing as well as communication between departments are very low. As stated by an operator in company A; ³:H GR QRW NQRZ LI RWKHU GHSDUWPHQWV KDYH KDG WKH VDPH NLQG RI SUREOHP RU KRZ WKH\ VROYHG LW´. There are possibilities to implement ICT tools enabling this, for example tools facilitating communication even without physical proximity (examples could be chat functions). This would enable a more open environment with larger integration within the company. A problem with a strong oral culture is that it is hard to capture tacit knowledge, it might be transmitted to other operators orally but it is hard to accomplish a wider spread of it. Knowledge sharing between departments could be enhanced through ICT-tools where operators could upload information. An increased knowledge sharing has a possible advantage of transforming the knowledge single operators have, tacit knowledge, to a commonly available knowledge. Despite importance of information adaptation (Fjällström et al., 2009) there are no adaptations of the information to the operator going to use it in any of the companies. One effect of experienced operators neglecting to use the instructions is, as stated by an operator; ³, ZRXOG SUREDEO\ QRW NQRZ LI WKH LQVWUXFWLRQV DUH XSGDWHG VLQFH , GR QRW ORRN DW WKHP UHJXODUO\´ An ICT tool could be constructed so it could display different kinds of information to the operators depending on their tasks, knowledge level and special responsibilities. Tools FRXOG DOVR EH GHVLJQHG WR FDWFK RSHUDWRUV¶ DWWHQWLRQ ZKHQ new information is available (Fässberg et al., 2010),(Fjällström et al., 2009). Further, a mobile device is shown to be used more often, this could be related to the theory of cost-benefit e.g how much effort does it take to look for information related to the benefit you get as an operator (Jonides and Mack, 1984), if the operator thinks that he gain more time to guess (use his own experience) rather than look at instructions, than the instructions will not be used, previous cases show that this is true in over 80 % of the assembly tasks (Fasth-Berglund and Stahre, 2013). If the ICT-tool is developed with these issues in mind, operators might use instructions to a higher extent and the time spent on small errors could be reduced. If enabling pictures or videos to be sent the time consuming explanations, to make the other person understand the issue,
use a few surveys were the gender information was missing, approximately 15% of the surveys. Company belonging was not considered though the usage of information carriers can be thought to vary between the companies and between operator roles. The usage of ICTtools at home did not vary between the companies. The focus here is laid on the operator role in general and therefore company belonging is not considered. The age factor seemed most important when looking at the future operator, since it was also believed that different groups adopt technology differently. However, not enough of data could be retrieved to draw any clear conclusions on this. The 36-55 age group has, as seen in the results, adopted several of the technologies in the survey. This indicates that these operators are familiar with different types of user interfaces. This is valuable information when creating ICT tools since it might be easier to gain operator acceptance if they are used to learn new interfaces. Acceptance is also thought to be gained when functions and interfaces seem familiar. The usage of more advanced communication tools, than pen and paper is higher at home than at work for most of the technologies investigated. In the middle age group the share using email is about 20% higher at home than at work. SMS and MMS are hardly used at all in work situation so the adaptation at home is between 100% and 40 % higher, for operators between 36 and 55. This indicates that the industry is not in the front edge in adopting ICT than society at large. A counterargument is that technology per se does not give any advantages and that companies therefore do not have to adopt new ICT tools. During the studies it was seen that the participating companies had previously not worked much with tools for information and communication. The lack of investigations on the benefits of operators using ICT tools also indicates that the industry is slower in adapting these tools than society. The higher adaptation of ICT at home is suggested to be an advantage for the adaptation of ICT tools at work. 4.2 Complexity From Table 3 it can be seen that the product and variant area is complex for both cases. Though experienced operators might not look at the instructions this implies that work instructions are important, especially for new operators and when new tasks are introduced (which is often due to the high flexibility and low production volume for mass-customized products). In both cases the work instructions are not perceived as sufficiently effective by operators. This shows that the work instructions have to be improved, which could be carried out in several ways. One way is to investigate if another type of carrier ICT tool could improve the instructions and the use of them. The content is in some cases may also need a revision, to keep the information up to date and present it effectively. 4.3 Interviews Having instructions at the right place and being able to fast double check has been seen to decrease quality problems 184
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Very important factors for the ICT tools and the success of them are also a proper investigation of the specific operator needs and a good implementation.
are thought to decrease and problems could be resolved faster. 4.4 Social Sustainability
4.6 ICT tools impact on competitiveness
ICT tools are believed to enhance several aspects of social sustainability related to information and communication. It could increase the flow and availability of information to the operator, which could increase his awareness and knowledge of company specific issues. Other effects could be the operator feeling overwhelmed with information and therefore losing interest in it. Directional duplex information and communication flow could be used allowing the operator to respond to or inform others on issues of importance. It is thought that some of the tacit knowledge could be captured this way. An ICT tool giving the operators further knowledge and a holistic view can enhance their feeling of participation and can allow for better and more informed decisions to be made. This would lead to more empowered operators, which is considered to be one part in CSR and social sustainability (European_Commission, 2001). Several aspects of social sustainability are thought to be positively affected by an implementation of ICT tools while others are not anticipated to be affected at all. For example the balance between work and private life should not be affected, provided the new tools are left at work. Neither are WRROV WKRXJKW WR DIIHFW FRPSDQLHV¶ DFWLRQV ZKLOH reconfiguring the business. It is also unsure how work force security would be affected. The oral tradition in two of the companies is strong and there is a possibility to expand the communication through ICT tools. Employees not working close enough for face-to-face discussions could exchange information in different ways (telephone is already used for some exchange). An example is company A where ICT could be used it to further enhance the communication and thus supporting an oral tradition. It is believed that ICT tools in this way could be an enabler of company culture, further extending it.
In the previous discussion some benefits of using and improving ICT tools has been seen e.g. reduce rejection rates, capture tacit knowledge and increase communication efficiency. These are promising results indicating that there are benefits to be gained from improving usage of ICT tools. Though ICT tools alone are expected to result in improvements the largest gains in operator competitiveness are anticipated when the instructions are also reworked. If the indicated increase in operator competitiveness is HQRXJK WR LQFUHDVH FRPSDQLHV¶ FRPSHWLWLYHQHVV ZLOO OLNHO\ vary from case to case, as previously seen some ICT studies were seen as successes (Bäckstrand et al., 2008) and some as failures (Morkos et al., 2012). Though, it is thought that if improvements in ICT solutions and information structures are made further benefits could be gained from organisational restructurings e.g. operators work content might be changed to encompass larger responsibility. Factors like social sustainability should not be neglected when considering FRPSDQLHV¶ FRPSHWLWLYHQHVV IRU H[DPSOH WKH DELOLW\ WR DWWUDFW competent work force. 4.7 Validity Since the survey on ICT usage at home and at work has only been answered by a limited number of people at a limited number of companies, the results should be regarded as indicative of a trend rather than generalizable at this stage. However, the method of investigation appears readily transferable to other industrial contexts. Sorting operator answers from the survey on ICT maturity by age group and disregarding which company they are from was done to focus on the operator groups as a whole, but has its limitations. The possibility of comparing results between companies is lost and skewed results from one company will affect the results. This study of ICT maturity is a first in a series of planned studies and it is also suggested that deeper studies on how the technology and tools are used have to be carried out to be able to make stronger conclusions. When moving on to create specifications for ICT tools the needs will have to be further detailed.
4.5 Factors affecting the tools to use and their features ,Q WKH LQWHUYLHZV D GLIIHUHQFH LQ RSHUDWRUV¶ LQWHUHVW WR XVH systems and support tools has been noticed, this will most likely affect the way in which the tool is used. Different tasks performed might also put different requirements on physical design of the tool, e.g. size, placement and liquid resistance. Thus, the operator using the tool will affect its performance, which is in line with previous studies (Fjällström et al., 2009). The overall aim of the project is to support the future operator. However, to support the future operator it has to be known who it will be and which tasks will be performed. For obvious reasons these things are hard to know, as usually said about forecasts the only thing which is sure is that they are not accurate. To minimize the efforts to adapt the tools when introducing new things e.g. products, operators or tasks the tools needs to be sufficiently flexible and possible to adapt to several situations.
5. CONCLUSIONS The maturity of ICT usage among operators seems to be higher at their leisure time than at work, but needs further investigation. Further, complex work tasks will increase the need for decision support tools, especially for new operators. The social sustainability of companies could be positively impacted by implementation of an ICT tool. Aspects like empowerment and participation of operators are thought to LQFUHDVH ,&7 WRROV FRXOG DOVR EH XVHG WR HQKDQFH FRPSDQLHV¶ knowledge base, capturing some of the experienced RSHUDWRUV¶ WDFLW NQRZOHGJH
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EUROPEAN_COMMISSION 2001. Promoting a European framework for Corporate Social Responsibility. Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.
Uncertainty about who the future operator is and what tasks he/she will perform should be solved through adaptability of content and support. Factors like competence and culture will also have an impact on the support that current and future operators will need. The results are promising and indicate that improvements in ICT tools could contribute to an increased competitiveness in Swedish industry.
FASTH-BERGLUND, Å. & STAHRE, J. 2013. COGNITIVE AUTOMATION STRATEGY -FOR RECONFIGURABLE AND SUSTAINABLE ASSEMBLY SYSTEMS. Assembly Automation, 33. FJÄLLSTRÖM, S., SÄFSTEN, K., HARLIN, U. & STAHRE, J. 2009. Information enabling production ramp-up. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 20, 178-196.
5.1 Future work The survey has provided a promising initial basis for better understanding of ICT tool use among operators in their daily lives, and therefore further investigation at the respective companies regarding adaptation of communication technology at home and at work could be desirable. It would lead to knowledge about differences in ICT adaptation in industry versus at home, which can be leveraged for development of tools.
FUCHS, C. 2008. The implications of new information and communication technologies for sustainability. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 10, 291-309. FÄSSBERG, T., NORDIN, G., FASTH, Å. & STAHRE, J. iPod touch±an ICT tool for operators in factories of the future? Proceedings of 43rd CIRP International Conference on Manufacturing Systems 2010, 2010.
6. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This research is part of a VINNOVA funded project, the Operator of the Future. The work has been carried out within the Production Area of Advance at Chalmers. The support is gratefully acknowledged. We are also grateful to the companies participating in this research, Sandvik Coromant, Dentsply, LKAB , Boliden, Volvo Group, Volvo Car Corporation, and SKF for their time and efforts.
GOLDHAR, J. D. & LEI, D. 1995. Variety is free: Manufacturing in the twenty-first century. Academy of Management Executive, 9, 73-86. JONIDES, J. & MACK, R. 1984. On the cost and benefit of cost and benefit. Psychological Bulletin, 96, 29-44. KIRA, M. & VAN EIJNATTEN, F. M. 2010. Socially sustainable work organizations and systems thinking. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 27, 713-721.
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