Human work in the shift to Industry 4.0: a road map to the management of technological changes in manufacturing

Abstract

The fourth industrial revolution tempts manufacturing companies to transform into smart factories, which in turn affects the human work. We examine this complexity from the perspective of human factors and ergonomics (HF/E) by analysing the organisational capabilities needed when seeking and selecting new technology solutions, and designing and implementing them into local application. This qualitative study focuses on manufacturing companies that have pioneered adopting high technologies in their processes. Empirical material was collected from 15 Finnish manufacturing companies of different sizes. Particular attention is paid to how HF/E are present when companies (1) sense new opportunities for technological development of their production, (2) seise these opportunities through design actions, and (3) shift the solutions into use. Analyses revealed that companies, regardless of their size and the technology being implemented, do not fully understand the fundamentals and value of HF/E, resulting in technology and production-oriented solutions in which human skills and capabilities are often neglected. A novel road map is proposed for integrating HF/E expertise and knowledge when seeking, selecting, and utilising new production technologies. This study increases understanding of the role of HF/E when adopting new technologies in manufacturing. The road map improves possibilities for fact-based decision-making.