Abstract
The case analysis presented in this paper is part of a larger project entitled “Information technology and the working environment”. In one of the sub-projects flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) implemented so far in Finland and those to be implemented in the near future will be studied. The system studied was installed in 1982, and it is used for machining the transmission housings and oil sumps for tractors. The process of implementation, participation and training of personnel, job structure and division of labor, as well as tasks of the FMS crew are described. The analysis revealed that the training of the operators had mainly been on-the-job training provided by the machine vendors, foremen and fellow workers. Especially the operators who joined the system later had not acquired the skills needed to deal with tasks resulting from machine disturbances and breakdown of tools. Consequently, the task structure in FMS was polarized. This may be one reason for the relatively low total running time of the system. The opinions of the management and employees concerning the implementation process, work organization and development needs are also discussed.
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