How can Manufacturing Human Factors Help save a Company: Intervention at High and Low Levels

1989 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 687-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.G. Drury ◽  
B.M. Kleiner ◽  
J. Zahorjan

Now that manufacturing has become a respectable topic in industry, an obvious question is how human factors/ergonomics can contribute to the improvement of manufacturing. The traditional route for ergonomics intervention has been a Project route, with a set of objectives agreed between the human factors engineer and people within the company. Projects, however, do not ask the question of whether human factors intervention is likely to have an impact on the company's strategic objectives, for example, remaining in the manufacturing of a particular product. Case studies in a variety of industries are used to contrast the project approach with a more strategic approach. It is concluded that the project may represent sub-optimization in that a successful outcome of the project may have no impact upon company survival without a careful examination of the strategic plans of the company.

1982 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-203
Author(s):  
James A. Wise

This is a panel session focused on the applications of Human Factors to real world problems in architectural design. Five representatives from various design & research professions will present recent case studies of theirs, and examine the contribution that Human Factors made to these projects. The diversity of their examples shows the usefulness and importance on integrating concerns for the human user into plans for the built environment.


1990 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 584-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth R. Laughery ◽  
David L. Mayer ◽  
Kent P. Vaubel
Keyword(s):  

2019 ◽  
Vol 57 (9) ◽  
pp. 2261-2283
Author(s):  
Vera Gelashvili ◽  
Eva María Aguilar Pastor ◽  
María-Jesús Segovia-Vargas ◽  
Maria-del-Mar Camacho-Miñano

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether sheltered employment centers (CEEs) which have a higher rate of professionalization of their managers have better economic returns than those that have a lower one. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire has been drawn up for their managers. After collecting the answers, an index of professionalization classifies the CEEs with managers of high, medium and low levels of professionalism. This index is then correlated with the main financial ratios of companies. Findings The results show that companies with the highest level of managers’ professionalization, on average, have higher economic returns than companies with medium and low rates, although the difference is not very high. This study is an important contribution to academic literature, as it is the first to examine the professionalization of CEE managers. Research limitations/implications Finally, this paper is not short of limitations. The number of responses is small but there are similar studies with similar response rates. Additionally, the scarcity of responses may suggest that there is a lack of interest about the utility of professionalization by some CEEs managers because, perhaps, they do not have the necessary competences to understand its importance in management. Practical implications This study has some main implications for stakeholders: first, CEEs must pay more attention to the professionalization of their management team, because professionalization can lead to meeting its goals and guaranteeing the firm’s growth. Second, training programs in skills and attitudes should be designed to strengthen these competencies. Moreover, managers of social firms should know that the establishment of strategic plans will be useful to identify new opportunities in the market. Social implications Given the important role of these social firms for the employment of people with disabilities, training programs should be promoted by government in order to ensure the professionalization of these companies. Originality/value This research is an important contribution to the literature on this subject because there are no studies about the level of professionalization of CEEs, companies that represent an important value for the economy of a country.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (59) ◽  
pp. 2-19
Author(s):  
Fernando Robles ◽  
Kety Lourdes Jauregui

Nowadays a progressively more dynamic and global economic environment causes a higher number of enterprises to pick an entry strategy to become international. The choice of a strategy of entry into foreign markets constitutes one of the most relevant decisions for a company, for it impacts on its performance and means it being ready to cooperate, to a greater or lesser extent, with global supply chains. The present article identifies the determining factors of the strategies of entry into international markets as implemented by Peruvian businessmen, which impact on the integration level into an international market. The companies that participated in this exploratory study have growing exportation levels within the non-traditional sector. The results allow to appreciate exporters employing entry strategies with low levels of integration, and predominantly prefer low-risk markets and high resemblance to the Peruvian market, with regards to cultural affinity and business behavior.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Ana García-Acosta ◽  
Jorge de la Riva-Rodríguez ◽  
Jaime Sánchez-Leal ◽  
Rosa María Reyes-Martínez

Emotions are a fundamental part of mental health and human behavior. In the workplace, optimal performance of employees is necessary for productivity enhancements and its relation to the quality of a manufacturing product, therefore leading a company to advantages and competitiveness. This means that the workplace staff must remain in a neutral or a calm emotional state, for an adequate job performance. When an operation is not pleasant or the same task is carried out for a long period of time (repetitive), it can cause negative emotions such as stress, and this will have repercussions in poor work performance. The purpose of this research is, by means of an electroencephalogram (EEG), to identify the stress in the repetitive assembly of a manufacturing product. To measure brain waves, the Emotiv Epoc equipment was used and a manufacturing line was designed, divided into three workstations, where the assembly of product comprising a LEGO car was carried out within a manual repetitive approach. The appearance of stress was determined by employing two different methodologies, the prefrontal relative gamma marker (RG) and the valence, arousal, and dominance (VAD) emotional categories. The results obtained from the first methodology, corresponding to the RG marker, displayed a significant more change between the relaxation state and the product assembly carried out at 70% of the standard time (ST). A less significant change was observed between the relaxation state and the product assembly carried out at 100% ST, thus signaling the presence of stress. Additionally, the results from the VAD methodology resulted in moderate and low levels of stress, when the product assembly was carried out at 70% and 100% standard time, respectively.


Author(s):  
Jung S. Oh ◽  
Dean Q. Lewis ◽  
Daeyong Lee ◽  
Gary A. Gabriele

Abstract Many different types of snap-fits have been developed to replace conventional fasteners, and research efforts have been made to characterize their performance. It is often tedious to look for design equations for unique types of snap-fits to calculate the insertion and retention forces. If found, these equations tend to be long, complex, and difficult to use. For this reason, a snap-fit calculator has been created to help in designing integral attachment features. Studies of seven most commonly used snap-fits (annular snap, bayonet-and-finger, cantilever hook, cantilever-hole, compressive hook, L-shaped hook, and U-shaped, hook) were used to provide the equations implemented in this snap-fit calculator, more fasteners than any other snap-fit calculator available. This tool aids in designing snap-fits to meet specific loading requirements by allowing the designer to size the feature to obtain desired estimates for maximum insertion and retention forces. The software for this design tool was written in JAVA™ language that is independent of operating system platforms and can be distributed at a company site-wide over an intranet or worldwide over the Internet. This makes it easily accessible to a user, and universal upgrades can be achieved by simply updating the software at the server location. Designers will find this tool to be useful in the design process and the most convenient way to estimate the performance of snap-fits. This paper describes the development and operation of the IFP snap-fit calculator including several case studies comparing the calculated results to experimental data.


1988 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 598-602 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Wichansky ◽  
Charles N. Abernethy ◽  
Miriam E. Kotsonis ◽  
D.C. Antonelli ◽  
Peter P. Mitchell

As customer demand surges for products which are easy to use, human factors and marketing professionals are working together more frequently. The purpose of this panel is to discuss ways in which human factors and marketing can interact to provide and promote usability. Panelists will share their successes and failures in working with marketing by describing case studies of collaborative work. The pros and cons of joint efforts will be discussed in a moderated question and answer format with audience participation. Brad Woolsey of Parallax Marketing Research will be a discussant.


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