Managing the human resource in the factory of the future

Abstract

Powerful marketing, economic and technological forces are driving manufacturing toward greater functional integration. Computer integrated manufacturing and flexible manufacturing systems will be the logical outgrowth of these pressures. Functional integration will place special demands upon the people in the factory environment of the future, affecting jobs and organization structure. Specialized jobs, based upon ‘scientific management’ will yield to the multi skilled worker. Flexible work roles will in turn affect training, employee motivation and manufacturing organization structure. The authors discuss implications of these trends for introducing new manufacturing technology into existing facilities.