Production Work Research Articles

Streamlining operations management by classifying methods and concepts of Lean and Ergonomics within a sociotechnical framework

Companies have implemented Lean to increase efficiency and competitiveness. However, the importance of Ergonomics is often neglected, resulting in ergonomic problems and lower profitability and acceptance of Lean. This study presents a comprehensive approach to Operations and Production Management (OPM) considering sociotechnical synergies. For Lean and Ergonomics, literature-based main methodologies and categories are defined. These main methodologies/categories are used as search-term combinations in a further literature search. This literature is divided into “Production worker” (PW), “Physical environment” (PE), “Industry 4.0 technology” (i4.0), “Company culture” (CC), and “Manufacturing methods” (MM) based on a metric, the sociotechnical system (STS) concept. This makes it possible to determine the percentage of participation in Lean and Ergonomics articles by STS category. The main differences can be seen in PE (Lean: 10%; Ergonomics: 24%) and i4.0 (Lean: 29%; Ergonomics: 15%). However, for PW (Lean: 18%; Ergonomics: 21%), CC (Lean: 19%; Ergonomics: 20%), and MM (Lean: 26%; Ergonomics: 20%), there are similarities between Lean and Ergonomics. The OPM user should manage the PW, CC, and MM factors equally with Lean and Ergonomics, as the objective is the same. For PW, CC, and MM measures, a professional separation into Lean/OPM and Ergonomics/Occupational Medicine does not make sense. Concerning i4.0, there is a danger that the human factor in (especially innovation-oriented) OPM will be unjustly neglected and that too much emphasis will be placed on supposedly human-free technology.

A reinforcement learning-driven adaptive decomposition algorithm for multi-objective hybrid seru system scheduling considering worker transfer

The application of hybrid seru manufacturing in real-world production often necessitates the implementation of a worker transfer strategy to overcome limitations in skill levels and realize the co-optimization of production efficiency and worker workload. Therefore, this study focuses on hybrid seru system scheduling considering worker transfer (HSSWT) to minimize both the makespan and the total labor time. The presence of multiple optimization objectives and coupled subproblems results in a considerably large search space, which poses challenges that existing optimization frameworks cannot effectively address. Thus, we propose a reinforcement learning-driven adaptive decomposition algorithm (RLADA) to address this issue. First, to minimize the search space, the HSSWT is decomposed into two subproblems, each utilizing distinct search strategies to explore specific areas. Elite-driven population evolution and a lower bound-guided greedy search are proposed to solve the individual subproblems. Second, a deep Q-network has been developed to adaptively select the subproblem to optimize in each generation by dynamically dividing the objective space. Finally, to narrow the search space, the lower bound is used to filter out unpromising solutions, thereby avoiding invalid searches. Additionally, the lower bound is utilized to determine the search depth according to the optimization margin, helping to conserve computing resources. Extensive comparative results demonstrate the effectiveness of the specialized designs, and the RLADA outperforms state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of solution convergence and diversity when addressing the HSSWT.

Novel insights into paternity skew in a polyandrous social wasp.

Females of many species are polyandrous. However, polyandry can give rise to conflict among individuals within families. We examined the level of polyandry and paternity skew in the common eastern yellowjacket wasp, Vespula maculifrons, in order to gain a greater understanding of conflict in social insects. We collected 10 colonies of V. maculifrons and genotyped workers and prereproductive queens at highly variable microsatellite markers to assign each to a patriline. Genotypic data revealed evidence of significant paternity skew among patrilines. In addition, we found that patrilines contributed differentially to caste production (worker vs. queen), suggesting an important role for reproductive conflict not previously discovered. We also investigated if patterns of paternity skew and mate number varied over time. However, we found no evidence of changes in levels of polyandry when compared to historical data dating back almost 40years. Finally, we measured a suite of morphological traits in individuals from the most common and least common patrilines in each colony to test if males that showed highly skewed reproductive success also produced offspring that differed in phenotype. Our data revealed weak correlation between paternity skew and morphological phenotype of offspring sired by different males, suggesting no evidence of evolutionary tradeoffs at the level investigated. Overall, this study is the first to report significant paternity and caste-associated skew in V. maculifrons, and to investigate the phenotypic consequences of skew in a social wasp. Our results suggest that polyandry can have important consequences on the genetic and social structure of insect societies.

An investigation of 3M Cordova, IL production worker's per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances biomonitoring results and mortality experience

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a wide-ranging group of chemicals that have been used in a variety of polymer and surfactant applications. While 3M Cordova, Illinois was not one of 3M's primary manufacturing facilities for the legacy long-chain PFAS (PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS), it has been a major manufacturing site for short-chain PFAS (compounds that are or may degrade to PFBS or PFBA). The purpose of this research focused on: 1) an analysis of biomonitoring data of employees and retirees, and 2) an analysis of the cohort mortality of workers from 1970 to 2018. Employees had higher PFBS and PFBA serum concentrations than the retirees, while retirees had higher concentrations for PFOS, PFOA, and PFHxS. Compared to the 2017–2018 NHANES data, employees’ PFOS and PFHxS concentrations in 2022 were two-fold higher, with PFOA levels comparable. These NHANES data did not include serum PFBS or PFBA. Cross-sectional trends of PFOS and PFOA levels from 1997 to 2022 showed PFOS declined from 151 ng/mL to 10.4 ng/mL. Similarly, PFOA decreased from 100 ng/mL to 1.5 ng/mL. A longitudinal analysis of 48 participants with measurements in both 2006 and 2022 showed concentrations decreased by 74% for PFOS and 90% for PFOA. In the mortality study, 1707 employees who worked 1 day or longer were followed for an average of 25.6 years and had 143 (8%) deaths. There were no significantly elevated risks for any specific cause of death, regardless of latency period (0 or 15 years). While no specific PFAS exposures were examined, worker mortality experience (1970–2018) was analyzed by major departments representing primary work areas. Employees and retirees at the Cordova facility continue to have elevated PFOS and PFHxS serum concentrations compared to the general population, however, their legacy PFAS concentrations have declined over time, consistent with the estimated serum elimination half-lives of these PFAS in humans assuming nominal ambient exposures. For PFBS and PFBA, the results indicated no long-term accumulation in the blood likely due to their short serum elimination half-lives. After nearly 50 years of follow-up, this Cordova workforce showed no increased risk of mortality from cancer or any other specific cause of death.

Wastewater Management in Tomato Factories

Tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) is a globally consumed vegetable with a significant role in the food industry. In 2021, global tomato production exceeded 189.1 million metric tons, emphasizing its economic importance. This research delves into the challenges posed by wastewater generated during tomato processing and explores sustainable strategies for managing it. Case studies were conducted in tomato processing plants in California, Kadawa (Kura LGA, Kano State), and Kumo (Gombe State) to assess their wastewater management practices. The findings revealed a lack of uniform wastewater collection systems in the studied factories, highlighting the need for improved environmental sustainability. As Bauchi State's population and industrialization grow, addressing the wastewater issue becomes increasingly urgent. Inadequate wastewater management can have detrimental effects on human health, water supplies, and the environment. To mitigate these challenges, this study proposes the integration of sustainable techniques in tomato processing factories. The objectives include quantifying wastewater generation, designing a functional factory layout applicable to other food processing industries, and creating a factory design that promotes sustainable water use. Site selection criteria were established, focusing on accessibility, labor availability, utilities, expansion potential, topography, and environmental impact. After a thorough evaluation, a site in Hardawa, Misau Local Government Area of Bauchi State, was identified as the most suitable location for the proposed tomato processing factory. The factory's design brief includes provisions for production facilities, administrative blocks, and worker facilities. Space requirements were determined based on the anticipated activities within each section. The proposed design emphasizes water harvesting and recycling to reduce wastewater generation and promote sustainability. In conclusion, this research underscores the importance of addressing wastewater management in tomato processing factories. By implementing sustainable design principles, factories can minimize environmental impact, enhance operational efficiency, and demonstrate commitment to ethical business practices. The proposed design offers a comprehensive solution to the wastewater challenge, ensuring compliance with environmental standards and safeguarding natural resources. Recommendations include collaboration between factory management and government authorities, the adoption of sustainable design approaches in future tomato processing facilities, and the allocation of resources for ongoing maintenance. Embracing these recommendations will contribute to more responsible and environmentally conscious tomato processing practices.

Literature Review of the Effectiveness of Using Aggregate Planing in the Msme Industry

This research investigates the effectiveness of using Aggregate Planning in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) industry. Through a literature review using national and international scientific journal articles from 2018-2023, this research identified three main approaches to aggregate planning: Level Strategy, Chase Strategy, and Mixed Strategy. Level Strategy maintains production levels at a constant level, using inventory as a buffer to deal with fluctuations in demand. Chase Strategy adjusts production directly to market demand, minimizing inventory and carrying costs. Mixed Strategy, a combination of Chase Strategy and Level Strategy, combines the flexibility of Chase Strategy with the stability of Level Strategy to optimize production and inventory costs. This research describes how MSMEs in the children's clothing industry implement these three strategies. In Level Strategy, production is kept at a constant level, using inventory as a buffer. In the Chase Strategy, production is matched directly to demand, reducing inventory and carrying costs. In Mixed Strategy, the combination of strategies allows flexible response to demand fluctuations, minimizing inventory costs. The calculation results show that using Mixed Strategy allows companies to optimize production, reduce inventory costs, and respond quickly to variations in market demand. The total costs during this period were the result of production costs, inventory costs, overtime costs, and worker salaries, reaching a total of IDR 124,900,000. This research provides insight into how MSMEs can utilize aggregate planning with various strategies to increase their operational efficiency and flexibility in facing market dynamics.

Multiobjective optimization allocation of multi‐skilled workers considering the skill heterogeneity and time‐varying effects in unit brake production lines

AbstractThe optimal allocation of multi‐skilled workers in labor‐intensive industries can improve production capacity and reduce production costs. In actual production, the efficiency of workers will change with time due to their proficiency, fatigue, and other effects. In this article, we attempt to solve the problem of multi‐skilled workers allocation in unit brake production lines considering the heterogeneity of skills and time‐varying effects. A nonlinear mixed‐integer programming model is established, which fully considers the impact of worker efficiency due to proficiency, fatigue, and multi‐task rest recovery. The product production cycle and worker cost are the two objectives of the optimization solution. An enhanced NSGA‐II algorithm that combines the improved NSGA‐II algorithm and the variable neighborhood search (VNS) algorithm is used to solve the multiobjective optimization problem. Finally, the weighted ideal point method is used to obtain the Pareto optimal solution. The application case of a unit brake production is considered to evaluate the proposed model. The results indicate that the time cost and salary cost of workers are reduced by 8.03% and 18.91% compared with the original scheduling. The scheduling model considering learning, fatigue and recovery factors is more suitable for the actual production situation, ensuring the completion time and reducing the labor cost.

Toward Programming a Collaborative Robot by Interacting with Its Digital Twin in a Mixed Reality Environment

In an industrial production context, when a robotic arm is assigned a new task, it must be re-programmed by specialized personnel with the necessary skills and knowledge. In addition, the robot remains offline while being re-programmed, negatively affecting productivity. Mixed reality opens up the opportunity for a production worker with no programming skills to teach a robot by interacting with the hologram of its digital twin, thus not interfering with the physical robot during re-programming. We describe the design and implementation of a mixed-reality interface to instruct trajectories for a robot end-effector by moving the hologram of its digital twin by hand. The interface supports the integrality of this interaction so that the user can configure the end effector location and orientation simultaneously. We also report a user study (n = 14) to characterize this interface in terms of usability, user experience, and estimated temporal efficiency that it can provide when programming robot trajectories.

Innovative Management of Biomass Cost Value Based on Accounting and Analysis of Production Costs of Agricultural Activities

The newest directions for evaluating the ecological and economic behaviour of agricultural enterprises involve the full use of by products, such as biomass. The main items of biomass costing (for the example of baled corn) are identified: the cost of corn waste in the field, the cost of twine for forming bales, the cost of fuel and lubricants, wages and social contributions, the cost of operation and depreciation of agricultural machinery, and other production and logistics costs. Based on the study of the structure of production costs that form the cost of biomass, it was found that the main share is made up of labour costs. With the purpose of complex optimization of the operating costs of agricultural activities, the necessity of introducing an innovative biomass cost management system based on automated accounting and analysis with the use of global positioning technologies, aerial monitoring with the help of drones, and the Internet of Things has been proven. The use of technologies for collecting and processing accounting information on agricultural activities for the formation of information arrays on the planned volume of harvested crops, salaries of operating personnel, fuel and lubricants, equipment depreciation and the need for routine maintenance of agricultural machinery, as well as additional operating and transportation costs, has been proposed. An innovative analytical model has been developed to study the impact of agricultural conditions (harvest volume, average wage of a production worker, distance from fields to storage or processing facilities, level of logistics organization, quality of agricultural products, level of use of the latest agricultural technologies and agricultural machinery) on production costs, which is the basis for operational and predictive innovative management of biomass costs. The innovation of the model lies in the use of linguistic variables, i.e., factors that are not quantifiable but can be economically evaluated. For the practical implementation of an innovative biomass cost management system, the use of the information scheme, which includes all the information components, on the basis of which managers develop and offer the best management solutions to minimize the cost of biomass, has been proposed. The need to reflect accounting and analytical information on the cost of biomass in integrated reporting (sustainability reporting) to inform internal and external stakeholders about the formation and use of alternative energy sources determines the prospects for further research in this area.

Protecting cattle feedyard workers in the Central States region: Exploring state, regional, and national data on fatal and nonfatal injuries in agriculture and the beef production sector

Working in agriculture can be dangerous. Despite ongoing efforts of Extension, animal production worker safety has not been adequately addressed. We present state, regional, and national counts and rates on fatal and nonfatal injuries in agriculture and animal production using publicly available data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We found that animal production had a high number of fatal injuries and a higher rate of nonfatal injuries than the average within agriculture. More needs to be done to protect livestock workers from injury. Extension professionals can play a key role in increasing safety knowledge and changing behaviors.

Evaluation of conventional and industry 4.0 manufacturing work design factors for performance based on personal characteristics

Performance of workers can be improved by effective design of work. Several work design factors, physiological, psychological, technological, organizational and social, have been identified in research literature. These factors influence the work in different forms, especially in combination with personal characteristics of workers. Manufacturing technologies are also changing with adoption of industry 4.0 practices. The objective of the research was to test whether workers with different personal characteristics had different relationships with work design factors in the conventional setting. The findings for the current conventional setup are extrapolated on an industry 4.0 work design model with important insights and observations. Managerial implications were inferred from the results which indicated age, education and family size as important variables affecting supervision (Mean HSE ( , training ( ), aptitude ( , pay and welfare ( ), job rotation , feedback , pace of operations , in conventional manufacturing. Old, experienced, educated and married workers with children give certain initiatives to management, which should be utilized for better performance in industry 4.0 production work. Keywords: Human Resource, industry 4.0, personal characteristics, production worker, work design

Intergenerational Social Mobility, Political Socialization and Support for the Left under Post-industrial Realignment

AbstractThis article investigates how class of origin and intergenerational social mobility impact left-wing party support among new and old core left-wing electorates in the context of post-industrial electoral realignment and occupational transformation. We investigate the remaining legacy of political socialization in class of origin across generations of voters in the UK, Germany and Switzerland. We demonstrate that part of the contemporary middle-class left-wing support is a legacy of socialization under industrial class–party alignments, as many individuals from working-class backgrounds – traditional left-wing constituencies – have a different (post-industrial) class location than their parents. These enduring effects of production worker roots are weaker among younger generations and in more realigned contexts. Our findings imply that exclusively considering respondents' destination class underestimates the relevance of political socialization in class of origin, thereby overestimating electoral realignment. However, these past industrial alignments are currently unparalleled, as newer left-wing constituencies do not (yet) demonstrate similar legacies.

Market-oriented environmental regulations, employment adjustment and transfer path: Quasi-experimental evidence from China's carbon emissions trading pilot

Following China's pilot program of the released Carbon Emission Trading (CET) in 2011, affected companies were forced to alter their production and operational choices, which had an impact on their labor demand and employment structure. This study examines the employment adjustment effect and employment transfer effect of CET in China using propensity score matching (PSM) and difference-in-differences (DID) method, based on the panel data of Chinese listed companies (2009–2019). We found that China's CET has expanded the scale of employment and changed the employment structure in the pilot regions. The employment adjustment effect of CET mainly comes from the First-tier pilot regions, and it mostly affects the highly educated work force. CET increased the proportion of highly-educated labor through the increase of R&D innovation and investment, while reduced the proportion of production worker employed due to the increase of production cost, it promotes the transfer of labor from underdeveloped regions to First-tier pilot regions.

Labour market protection across space and time: A revised typology and a taxonomy of countries’ trajectories of change

We measure and interpret the evolution of labour market protection across 21 high-income countries over three decades, employing as conceptual foundations the ‘regime varieties’ and ‘trajectories of change’ developed by Esping-Andersen, Estevez-Abe, Hall and Soskice, and Thelen. We measure labour market protection considering four institutional dimensions – employment protection, unemployment protection, income maintenance and activation – and the evolution of the workforce composition. This measurement accounts for the joint evolution of labour market institutions, their complementarities and their relation to outcomes, and mitigate the unrealistic Average Production Worker assumption. We handle the multi-dimensional nature of labour market protection with Principal Component Analysis and capture the characteristics of countries’ trajectories of change with a composite score. We contribute to the literature in three ways. (1) We portray a revised typology that accounts for processes of change between 1990 and 2015, and that clusters regime varieties on the basis of coordination and solidarity levels, that is, Central/Northern European, Southern European, liberal. (2) We illustrate that, despite a persistent gap, a large majority of Coordinated Market Economies experiencing a decline in the level of labour market protection became more similar to Liberal Market Economies. (3) We develop a fivefold taxonomy of countries’ trajectories of change (liberalization, dualization, flexibility, de-dualization and higher protection), showing that these trajectories are not always path-dependent and consistent with regime varieties previously developed in the literature.

Firms' responses to changes in frictions in related human capital factor markets

AbstractResearch SummaryStrategic human capital scholars suggest that firms' human capital rents are greater when labor market frictions are more prevalent. Taking this argument further, we suggest that when frictions for one type of human capital decrease, firms are motivated to place greater emphasis on human capital that is interdependent in production where frictions are unchanged. Empirically, we exploit an exogenous institutional change in the National Football League to demonstrate that coaching (managerial) dismissal and replacement is more likely to occur (and is influenced by a wider variety of information) after frictions for player (production worker) human capital decrease. Our findings suggest adding a new dimension—tradeoffs between related labor market segments—to the scholarly conversation about how firms manage their human capital (and other resources) strategically.Managerial SummaryWe often point to the existence of labor market frictions for different types of human capital as reasons why firms would emphasize one type of human capital over another. But changes in frictions in markets for related human capital, the present focus, can influence this decision as well. In particular, our study demonstrates that when the NFL implemented free agency and a salary cap in the market for player talent in 1993, limiting the ability of teams to stockpile talented players, NFL teams responded by increasing their emphasis on coaching talent in the production of wins. This increased emphasis manifested in more frequent coaching dismissals and a greater influence of different types of information on the desirability of replacing a team's head coach after 1993.

İstanbul’da Hazır Giyim İhracatına Yönelik Üretim Yapan İşletmelerin Covid-19 Pandemisi Nedeniyle Ortaya Çıkan Üretim ve Tedarik Sorunlarının İncelenmesi

The ready-to-wear sector, which is the most important and old industry branch for development in the world economy and still one of the important production and export branches of our country, has an important place in development since history. With the Covid-19 pandemic, which spread severely in the world between March and April 2020, broad layers of society were affected by health, and business life also reveals the consequences of the negative effects it has received in the medium and long term. The ready-made clothing sector, which is one of the labor-intensive sectors in our country, is also one of the affected production branches. In order to manage the risks arising from the restrictions of production branches that have a direct impact on the economy, a strategy that will be formed between the health of the employees and the demands of foreign buyer companies has arisen. The strategy to be developed in this direction is directly related to the ability of enterprises to adapt to new situations brought along by extraordinary conditions. All businesses, regardless of their size, faced serious difficulties, especially in this process. Low cost and quality, as well as standardizations, which are the two basic conditions of competing in the foreign market, are important in terms of coping with success and competition in international markets, especially due to the limited number of buyers, namely customers, and the infinite number of companies and products. Although the probability of occurrence is low, pandemics can reach millions of people depending on their impact and the rate of spread. Covid-19 has affected the flow of daily life, and demand-side distortions have also emerged with supply-side disruptions due to reasons such as employees' inability to go to work, disrupted and canceled raw material supply, and changes in consumer preferences. Production was quickly affected by the epidemic due to reduced working hours and job losses, and many manufacturers came to the point of bankruptcy. In the pandemic, the textile industry has reduced the production capacity of people due to the rapid decrease in demand by easily abandoning shopping and consumption, part-time production has been started or production has been stopped, but only a few have tried to go through this process by producing masks, overalls and bonnets. In this research, the difficulties faced by the enterprises that make production for ready-to-wear export in Istanbul and apply restrictions during the pandemic process will be examined. Difficulties encountered; production process, worker health, transportation and raw material supply. The data collection methods of the research, as well as the review of the relevant literature, will be analyzed by converting the data obtained from the twenty-question interviews and observations made with the company managers of 15 companies operating in Istanbul belonging to the sector, as a result of the descriptive analysis Nvivo program. Keywords: Ready-to-Wear, export, Istanbul, Covid 19, Production, Supply

The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Employee Performance: The Mediating Role of Employee Engagement in Selected Porcelain Manufacturing Companies in Sri Lanka

Transformational leadership is a concept and a belief in the contemporary business world which has proven results in employee development and organizational success. Leaders with transformational leadership behaviors coach and inspire their followers to achieve the targets by changing the value systems, culture and mindsets and sometimes being the role models to them. This paper aims to fill the existing research gap by examining the impact of transformational leadership on employee performance in the context of porcelain manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka, specifying the production worker level. Further this study investigates the mediating role of employee engagement between transformational leadership and employee performance. Thus, the current study contributes to the literature in the field of transformational leadership, employee performance and employee engagement. The study was conducted on a sample of 250 production workers in selected porcelain manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka. The data was analyzed using the analytical software SPSS version 23 and descriptive, correlation and regression analysis were conducted. The findings revealed that transformational leadership has a positive impact on employee performance and employee engagement and also employee engagement has a positive impact on employee performance. Importantly, employee engagement mediates the relationship between transformational leadership and employee performance. According to the findings of the study, it is concluded that transformational leadership behaviors impact employee performance and employee engagement. This study adds to the current body of literature by providing insight into the impact of transformational leadership and employee engagement on employee performance in the porcelain manufacturing companies in Sri Lanka, and on the empirical ground, some of the findings and judgements of this study may be important to other organizations to make their employees engaged, develop and increase employee performance towards the organizations.

The Presence technology system of textile production worker in pandemic context with hybrid model TAM-AHP:

Production activities in the context of a pandemic are hampered by the spread of the corona virus, while the company's business must continue to run. The company that is being studied in this research is a textile company in the production sector. The results of this study were carried out by selecting the type of technology according to the company's conditions heuristically. The available technology variants in the market can be various types of technology, the more innovative and cheaper they are, but not all of them get optimal results according to the required conditions. The method used is hybrid model are technology acceptance model and analytical hierachy process. The results of the research obtained that the technology system needed is composed of several criteria, namely the detection of employees every arrival, data early detection of body temperature that can reject or accept employees into the production room, technology that is in accordance with the health and comfort of production employees in ergonomic standards, has a low price according to the company budget, and maintenance technology is easier to use with scoring 0,4050. All of these criteria are based on company needs according to field conditions and company policies in consistency ratio on value 0,0625.

De robotarm als collega

SUMMARY Dutch industrial manufacturers are confronted with a new and promising industrial robot: the collaborative robot (cobot). These small robotic arms are revolutionary as they allow direct and safe interaction with production workers for the very first time. The direct interaction between production worker and cobot has the potential to not only increase efficiency, but also enhance flexibility as it can align the strengths of (wo)man and machine more thoroughly. Currently, Dutch manufacturers are experimenting with cobots. To obtain a first understanding about the use of cobots in Dutch industrial practice and to see what the consequences are for production workers and production work, we conducted an exploratory interview study (N=61). We learnt that most cobots under study are used for the production of one or a few large product batches (mass production) and work highly autonomous. The interaction between cobot and production worker is limited and reduced to production workers preventing the cobot from falling into a standstill. The results tend to be in line with traditional industrial automation practices: an overemphasis on leveraging the technology’s potential and limited attention for the production workers’ work design and decision latitude. HR professionals were not involved and, therefore, miss out on a crucial opportunity to be of an added value.

A Convergence Model for Environment Analysis of SME (Small and Medium Enterprises) Using RPA (Robotic Process Automation)

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the consulting project of the convergence model for analyzing the market environment of Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) using Robotic Process Automation (RPA). The subject of the study was the semiconductor manufacturing machinery manufacturing industry (Korea Standard Industry Code (KSIC): C29271), and the market environment analysis process modeling was conducted using the RPA program. In fact, the Korean RPA program, “AutomateOne,” was used to automate market environment analysis. Currently, RPA is used as a substitute for simple, repetitive and standardized work in the financial sector, and it is used only in limited fields such as accounting duties, so studies on the applicability in other industries are insufficient. In this study, in the field of knowledge service in which consultants are mainly active, in market analysis work, scripts were created through actual business process modeling to show the possibility of application in the relevant work. The application of the consulting project was proved by the contribution of digital workers, which is a realistic measure against the reduction of the production worker population. In this study, an application case of robot process automation was studied in the knowledge service industry. In the future, research is needed to increase the efficiency of business process modeling through linking with open Python libraries and cognitive functions of machine learning or deep learning.