A methodology for the prioritization of factors influencing human errors in manual assembly lines

Abstract

With manufacturing companies facing societal and economic challenges, their error risk in manual assembly lines is increasing. A demographic change can be observed in many industrialized countries, negatively influencing performance levels. Furthermore, a shortage of skilled workers with the required qualifications is another challenge for companies. The increasing product variance and the pressure regarding costs, quality, and time imply a higher load on the employees. This discrepancy between rising load and potentially diminishing performance levels can lead to increasing errors in manual assembly. Developing a taxonomy of error-influencing factors for manual assembly lines is a crucial step, as it enables a systematic decision on preventive measures to hinder the development of errors. This contribution introduces this taxonomy, which is the core of the research and is based on a structured literature review, numerous expert interviews, and an expert workshop. Furthermore, a method for selecting the most relevant error-influencing factors for companies’ individual use cases is presented, offering a practical solution to a pressing industry problem.