Production quality and human factors engineering: A systematic review and theoretical framework

Area of Science:

• Industrial Engineering
• Human Factors Engineering
• Operations Management

Background:

• Manufacturing operations systems (OS) design and management are critical for system quality performance.
• Human factors (HF) play a significant, yet often overlooked, role in the success of these operations.
• Existing literature lacks a systematic synthesis of the empirical evidence linking HF to quality outcomes in manufacturing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and examine empirical evidence on the impact of human factors (HF) in manufacturing operations design and management on system quality performance.
• To identify specific HF aspects that act as quality risk factors in manufacturing operations systems (OS).
• To provide a conceptual framework explaining the linkage between HF and quality in manufacturing.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature review was conducted.
• Empirical studies linking human factors to operations systems performance in manufacturing were identified and analyzed.
• Data were synthesized to map linkages between human-system fit and production quality.

Main Results:

• Seventy-three empirical studies were identified, establishing a link between HF and OS performance in manufacturing.
• Quality risk factors related to HF include aspects of product design, process design, and workstation design.
• Undesirable human effects such as workload, fatigue, and injury risks were associated with quality deficits.
• Forty-six percent of studies reported on HF improvement efforts, with quality improvements reaching up to 86%.

Conclusions:

• Human factors are integral to the quality performance of manufacturing operations systems.
• Identifying and mitigating HF-related quality risks through improved design and management is crucial for enhancing production quality.
• The study provides a framework for understanding and leveraging the HF-Quality linkage in manufacturing contexts.