Human Factors in Simulations of Operations Systems - A Sociotechnical Approach

本研究的长期目标是建立一套实用的工具和模拟方法，帮助设计师和管理者在设计健康、高质量的产品和服务，同时提供卓越的技术性能的工作系统时，更好地考虑人为因素（HF）。每年有200多万人因与工作有关的原因而死亡。与工作相关的疾病造成的损失约占全球国内生产总值的4%，据美国估计，这相当于所有癌症的总和。流行病学证据表明，可以通过改进工作设计来解决这一问题。了解工作场所设计对员工的影响可能很困难，因此我们建议建立计算机模拟模型，让经理和工程师了解他们在设计和管理工作系统时所做的选择对人类的影响。我们建议创建新的方法来使用系统的离散事件模拟和组织的系统动力学建模，这些方法可以揭示早期操作设计选择对员工以及随后对工作绩效的长期影响。开发将在一系列分阶段的项目中进行，在这些项目中，将使用HF和所关注的上下文来扩展建模能力。拟用于建模的变量包括但不限于：1)操作员工作量，包括：工作速度、过程可变性、调度、分工、峰值和累积的生物力学需求以及认知需求；2)操作员结果变量，如能力水平（通过学习和遗忘模型）、疲劳状态、疼痛水平、心理社会状态（如倦怠或满意度）、缺勤、出勤和离职；3)系统结果变量，如服务或产品质量、生产率、废料、与运营和人力资源相关的直接和间接系统成本。我们将追求不断扩大的高频范围，以实现系统仿真方法无与伦比的“人性化”。该计划使用具体的操作设计问题，例如由于精益风格的“废物清除”努力而产生的强化效果，并行生产策略的使用，以及患者敏锐度变化的影响，以及医疗保健系统中护理人员工作量的变化。我们将直接与行业和医疗保健管理人员合作，帮助确定具有卓越性能和改善工作条件的“双赢”设计解决方案。协同工作使我们能够根据这些决策者的需要定制模型。该计划将为设计师和管理人员创造新的方法，以了解他们的系统设计中的高频是如何影响员工的健康和工作绩效的。这项研究将为工作场所的创新打开大门，为个人、组织和整个社会创造利益。

The long term objective of this research is to establish a suite of practical tools and simulation methods that can help designers and managers better consider human factors (HF) in their efforts to design work systems that are healthy, with high quality goods and services, while providing superior technical performance. Over 2 million people are killed each year due to work related causes. Work related ill health costs about 4% of the total world domestic product, estimated in the US to be on par with all cancers combined. Epidemiological evidence suggests this issue can be addressed by improving the design of work. Understanding the effects of workplace design on employees can be difficult, so we propose to build computer simulation models that let managers and engineers understand the human effects of the choices they make when designing and managing their work systems. We propose to create novel approaches to using discrete event simulations of systems, and system dynamics modelling of organisations that can reveal the long-run effects of early-stage operational design choices on employees and subsequently on work performance. Development will occur in a series of staged projects in which the HF and context of concern will be used to extend the modelling capability. Variables proposed for modelling include, but are not limited to: 1) Operator Workload including: work pace, process variability, scheduling, division of labour, peak and accumulated biomechanical demands, and cognitive demands; 2) Operator Outcome variables such as competency level (via learning and forgetting models), fatigue state, pain levels, psychosocial states such as burnout or satisfaction levels, absenteeism, presenteeism, and turnover; and 3) System Outcome variables such as service or product quality, productivity, scrap, direct and indirect system costs associated with operational and human resource related costs. We will pursue an ever broadening range of HF to achieve unparalleled “humanization” of the system simulation approach. The program uses specific operational design issues such as the effects of intensification due to lean-styled “waste removal” efforts, the use of parallelised production strategies, and the impacts of changes in patient acuity, and care-giver workload in healthcare systems. We will work directly with industry and healthcare managers to help identify “win-win” design solutions with superior performance and improved working conditions. Working collaboratively allows us to tailor models to the needs of these decision-makers.This program will create new methods for designers and managers to understand how HF in their system design are affecting their employees wellbeing and thus their work performance. This research will open the door for workplace innovation to create benefits for individuals, organisations, and for society at large.