Abstract
Value stream mapping (VSM) is a lean tool aiming at waste reduction. Previous research suggests
that the use of VSM may result in work intensification and thus an increased risk for the workers of
developing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD). In the current study, VSM was developed to
also consider physical exposure in the analyzed production system (ErgoVSM). As the VSM, ErgoVSM
is based on a participatory approach. ErgoVSM was tested in a Swedish manufacturing company. The
results suggest that ErgoVSM catalyzes change processes to include intervention proposals emphasizing
ergonomics in addition to waste reduction. Thus, ErgoVSM appeared useful for the investigated target
group of production engineers and experienced operators. The performance improvements suggested
when using the ordinary VSM seemed not to be hampered by adding the ergonomics complement.
However, the use of ErgoVSMwas somewhat more time consuming than the use of VSM. In conclusion,
ErgoVSM is suggested as a feasible tool to be used by production engineers and experienced operators
for including ergonomics considerations in the rationalization process. © 2015Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Human Factors and Ergonomics in Manufacturing and Service Industries |
Volume | 26 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 191–204 |
Number of pages | 14 |
ISSN | 1090-8471 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2016 |
Keywords
- Rationalization
- Lean production
- Musculoskeletal disorders
- Participatory ergonomics
- Organizational sustainability