Control Capacity in Planning, Scheduling and Control (CoCaPS)

• Research unit: COST
• Project number: C06.0118

Key words (English)

Planning; Scheduling; Human Control; Socio-Technical System Design; Work Design

Research programs (English)

COST-Action A29 - Human and Organisational Factors in Industrial Planning and Scheduling - HOPS

Short description (English)

The objective of the project we propose is the development of an instrument for measuring a work system's control capacity in planning, scheduling, and control (PSC). The purpose of PSC is to match market demands with production resources in order to reach goals to be specified by the respective organization (e.g. short lead times). PSC research as well as PSC practice is dominated by technology oriented approaches. However, implementations of respective information and communication technologies (ICT) often fail to deliver the intended benefits. We argue that this is due to the fact, that lopsided orientation on technology neglects the complex interplay of humans, technology and organization in PSC and hence may hamper the overall optimization of the sociotechnical system. The possibility to measure a work systems control capacity is intended to support the overcoming of this deficiency. Control capacity is defined as a work system's options for controlling work processes and hence for increasing the probability that desired outputs will be delivered. Measuring control capacity allows for prospective and comprehensive description and assessment of the impact of ICT implementation and hence for the development of better system designs.

Further information (English)

Full name of research-institution/enterprise: Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz Hochschule für Angewandte Psychologie Institut Mensch in komplexen Systemen

Partners and International Organizations (English)

CH, CY, CZ, DE, ES, FI, FR, HR, IE, MT, NL, SE, SK, UK

Abstract (English)

The objective of the project was the development of an instrument for measuring a work system’s control capacity in planning, scheduling, and control (PSC). The purpose of PSC is to match market demands with production resources in order to reach goals to be specified by the respective organization (e.g. short lead times). PSC research as well as PSC practice are dominated by technology oriented approaches. However, implementations of respective information and communication technologies (ICT) often fail to deliver the intended benefits. We argue that this is due to the fact that lopsided orientation on technology neglects the complex interplay of humans, technology and organization in PSC and hence may hamper the overall optimization of the sociotechnical system. The possibility to measure a work systems control capacity is intended to support the overcoming of this deficiency. Control capacity is defined as a work system’s options for controlling work processes and hence for increasing the probability that desired outputs will be delivered. Measuring control capacity allows for prospective and comprehensive description and assessment of the impact of ICT implementation and hence for the development of better system designs.

References in databases (English)

Swiss Database: COST-DB of the State Secretariat for Education and Research Hallwylstrasse 4 CH-3003 Berne, Switzerland Tel. [phone] Swiss Project-Number: C06.0118