Wednesday, April 6, 2022

Work Systems - Definition and Evolution of Work Systems Design in Industrial Engineering



ISO 6385:2016 Preview
Ergonomics principles in the design of work systems

Work systems involve combinations of workers and equipment, within a given space and environment, and the interactions between these components within a work organization.

ISO 6385:2016 establishes the fundamental principles of ergonomics as basic guidelines for the design of work systems and defines relevant basic terms. It describes an integrated approach to the design of work systems, where ergonomists will cooperate with others involved in the design, with attention to the human, the social and the technical requirements in a balanced manner during the design process.

Users of this International Standard will include executives, managers, workers (and their representatives, when appropriate) and professionals, such as ergonomists, project managers and designers who are involved in the design or redesign of work systems. Those who use this International Standard can find a general knowledge of ergonomics (human factors), engineering, design, quality and project management helpful.

The term "work system" in this International Standard is used to indicate a large variety of working situations, including permanent and flexible work places. The intention of this International Standard is to assist in the improvement, (re)design or change of work systems. Work systems involve combinations of workers and equipment, within a given space and environment, and the interactions between these components within a work organization. Work systems vary in complexity and characteristics, for example, the use of temporary work systems. Some examples of work systems in different areas are the following:

- production, e.g. machine operator and machine, worker and assembly line;

- transportation, e.g. driver and car or lorry, personnel in an airport;

- support, e.g. maintenance technician with work equipment;

- commercial, e.g. office worker with workstation, mobile worker with a tablet computer, cook in a restaurant kitchen;

- other areas like health care, teaching and training.

The observance of ergonomic principles applies to all phases throughout the life cycle of the work system from conception through development, realization and implementation, utilization, maintenance and support to decommissioning.

The systems approach in this International Standard gives guidance to the users of this International Standard in existing and new situations.

The definitions and ergonomic principles specified in this International Standard apply to the design of optimal working conditions with regard to human well-being, safety and health, including the development of existing skills and the acquisition of new ones, while taking into account technological and economic effectiveness and efficiency.

The principles in this International Standard are applicable to many other human activities, e.g. in the design of products for domestic and leisure activities. A more general description of the principles in this International Standard can be found in ISO 26800.

https://www.iso.org/standard/63785.html


WORK SYSTEMS DIVISION - IISE


IISE Work Systems Division members have an interest in the art, science, and practice of designing, implementing, analyzing and improving human-machine systems that work together to produce goods and provide services.

Vision (what we want to become)
Work Systems Division is to be the leading source for promoting advancements in the science, mathematics, and engineering principles that define work systems.
The Work Systems Division inspires those with an interest in designing, implementing, analyzing, and improving Work Systems in all environments (terrestrial, subterranean, underwater, atmospheric, outer space, cyberspace, etc.).
Mission (what we are doing today)
The Work Systems Division primary focus is on defining/establishing a work systems framework and scientific approach to design, standardization, measurement, analysis and optimization.

Definition


"A work system is a system in which human participants and/or machines perform work using information, technology, and other resources to produce products and/or services for internal or external customers. Typical business organizations contain work systems that procure materials from suppliers, produce and deliver products or services to customers, find customers, create financial reports, hire employees, coordinate work across departments, and perform many other functions.

The work system concept is a common denominator for many types of systems that operate within or across organizations."

http://www.iise.org/details.aspx?id=908


Holitistic Work System Design and Management - Oulu Phd thesis
http://jultika.oulu.fi/files/isbn9789526202198.pdf



1992 Book's explanation on Work System Design in the context of Information Systems - Very interesting

Draft Work System Design Handbook: A Guide for Integrating Technology with Human and Organizational Factors
Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service, 1992 - Government publications
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=77U2IRVRkZkC

Occupational Ergonomics: Design and Management of Work Systems
Waldemar Karwowski, William S. Marras
CRC Press, 26-Mar-2003 - Technology & Engineering - 624 pages
Occupational Ergonomics: Design and Management of Work Systems comprises chapters carefully selected from CRC's bestselling Occupational Ergonomics Handbook, logically organized for optimum convenience and thoughtfully priced to fit every budget. This book presents 34 chapters addressing selected issues in the area of occupational macroergonomics,
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=CAXNBQAAQBAJ



The Work System Method: Connecting People, Processes, and IT for Business Results
Steven Alter
Work System Method, 2006 - Business & Economics - 280 pages
The Work System Method is an organized approach that every organization can use for: ... Recognizing that systems involve much more than IT ... Describing and understanding systems from a business viewpoint ... Analyzing and improving systems ... Improving communication between business and IT professionals ... Increasing the likelihood of successful implementation ... Understanding the role and limitations of IT.

Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics: Visions, Concepts, Methods and Tools Festschrift in Honor of Professor Holger Luczak

Christopher M. Schlick
Springer Science & Business Media, 03-Oct-2009 - Technology & Engineering - 710 pages

The 60th birthday of Prof. Luczak is the reason for this book. He will be honoured for his research work during the "GfA-confernece" in March 2009. This book is the correspondig "Festschrift" for him.
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=IV0Vw4nNAAoC


2009 - Interesting content on work systems design in Information Systems Context..

Strategic Information Systems: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications
Hunter, M. Gordon
IGI Global, 31-Aug-2009 - Education - 2750 pages
Strategic use of technological innovations in information systems has rapidly evolved transforming institutions, organizations, and individuals across the globe.

Strategic Information Systems: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications provides a compendium of comprehensive advanced research articles written by an international collaboration of experts involved with the strategic use of information systems. Containing premier technologies and utilization techniques, this estimable repository of authoritative contributions presents academicians, practitioners, and researchers with an enriched compilation of cutting-edge knowledge.
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=tGZMdOKFlWsC


Age-Differentiated Work Systems


Christopher Marc Schlick, Ekkehart Frieling, Jürgen Wegge
Springer Science & Business Media, 14-Mar-2013 - Technology & Engineering - 448 pages


The disproportionate aging of the population of working age in many nations around the world is a unique occurrence in the history of humankind. In the light of demographic change, it is becoming increasingly important to develop and use the potential of older employees.

This edited volume Age-differentiated Work Systems provides a final report on a six-year priority program funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and presents selected research findings of 17 interdisciplinary project teams. The idea is that it will serve both as a reference book and overview of the current state of research in ergonomics, occupational psychology and related disciplines. It provides new models, methods, and procedures for analyzing and designing age-differentiated work systems with the aim of supporting subject matter experts from different areas in their decisions on labor and employment policies. Therefore over 40 laboratory experiments involving 2,000 participants and 50 field studies involving over 25,000 employees were conducted.

Further objectives of the edited volume were to provide a pluridisciplinary compilation of the extensive information acquired over the six-year program period, to illustrate the range of the research field, and to convey an integrated understanding of age-differentiated work systems to readers.
https://books.google.co.in/books?id=bWpHAAAAQBAJ



Production Ergonomics: Designing Work Systems to Support Optimal Human Performance


Cecilia Berlin, Caroline Adams
Ubiquity Press, 28-Jun-2017 - Technology & Engineering - 296 pages

Production ergonomics – the science and practice of designing industrial workplaces to optimize human well-being and system performance – is a complex challenge for a designer. Humans are a valuable and flexible resource in any system of creation, and as long as they stay healthy, alert and motivated, they perform well and also become more competent over time, which increases their value as a resource. However, if a system designer is not mindful or aware of the many threats to health and system performance that may emerge, the end result may include inefficiency, productivity losses, low working morale, injuries and sick-leave.

To help budding system designers and production engineers tackle these design challenges holistically, this book offers a multi-faceted orientation in the prerequisites for healthy and effective human work. We will cover physical, cognitive and organizational aspects of ergonomics, and provide both the individual human perspective and that of groups and populations, ending up with a look at global challenges that require workplaces to become more socially and economically sustainable. This book is written to give you a warm welcome to the subject, and to provide a solid foundation for improving industrial workplaces to attract and retain healthy and productive staff in the long run.





Updated on 7 Nov 2020
First published on 16 October 2020


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