Subject-orientation for human-centred production: A research agenda

Abstract

This paper introduces a holistic view of production companies as organic, socio-technical systems in which humans, machines and processes interact in a flexible way. We argue that this view provides support for designing new production management systems that emphasise human factors including physiological, psychological and social factors. Our approach applies the subject-oriented methodology of business process management (S-BPM) to technical production processes and associated operations. We present a research agenda for exploring some technical issues and potential opportunities related to the use of S-BPM as a basis for developing human-centred production sites. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.