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A sociotechnical approach to achieve zero defect manufacturing of complex manual assemblies
Author(s) -
Hong Kitty,
Nagarajah Romesh,
Iovenitti Pio,
Dunn Michelle
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
human factors and ergonomics in manufacturing and service industries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.408
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1520-6564
pISSN - 1090-8471
DOI - 10.1002/hfm.20068
Subject(s) - sociotechnical system , automotive industry , quality (philosophy) , operator (biology) , manufacturing engineering , computer science , engineering , product (mathematics) , control (management) , systems engineering , process management , risk analysis (engineering) , knowledge management , artificial intelligence , business , philosophy , biochemistry , chemistry , geometry , mathematics , epistemology , repressor , transcription factor , gene , aerospace engineering
Traditional approaches to defect reduction in manufacturing environments rely heavily on the introduction of technology‐based detection techniques that require significant investments in equipment and technical skills. In this article, the authors outline a novel, alternative approach that utilizes the largely untapped abilities of assembly‐line operators. Targeting zero‐defect manufacturing, the SEISMIC (stabilize, evaluate, identify, standardize, monitor, implement, and control) methodology developed herein is a sociotechnical‐based system built on the decentralization of technical knowledge and the transfer of responsibility for product quality from technical staff to manual operators. Along with defect reduction, important secondary goals of the SEISMIC methodology are improved operator performance and job satisfaction. The SEISMIC methodology provides a quantitative approach for classifying assembly environments and determining their required skill sets. Effective methods for transferring the identified skills throughout the production team are also provided. A pilot application of the protocol in an automotive assembly environment has achieved promising results in the target areas of defect reduction and operator performance. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 17: 137–148, 2007.