What are anthropocentric production systems?

European Commission Directorate-General For The Information Society And Media Directorate-General For Research And Innovation

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Why are they a strategic issue for Europe?
Research policy and organisation

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• Publié par: EUROPEAN-COMMISSION-DIRECTORATE-GENERAL-FOR-THE-INFORMATION-SOCIETY-AND-MEDIA-DI
• Nombre de lectures: 20
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

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ISSN 1016-5593
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
WHAT ARE ANTHROPOCENTRIC
PRODUCTION SYSTEMS?
WHY ARE THEY A STRATEGIC ISSUE FOR EUROPE?
wåÆt' JFK
Report
Forecasting and Assessment
in Science and Technology EUR 13968 EN MONITOR Commission of the European Communities
science
and technology policy
What are anthropocentric
production systems ?
Why are they a strategic
issue for Europe ?
W. Wobbe
Commission of the European Communities
DG Xll/Monitor/Fast
Rue de la Loi 200
B-1049 Brussels
Final report
Directorate-General p.p. _ . ι
Science, Research and DeJelbprnenfcUROP.Biblioth.
N.C.
1992 FiiRiaafìftFN
CI.
. 1 Published by the
COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
Directorate-General
Telecommunications, Information Industries and Innovation
L-2920 Luxembourg
LEGAL NOTICE
Neither the Commission of the European Communities nor any person acting
on behalf of then is responsible for the use which might be made of
the following information
Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication
Luxembourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, 1992
ISBN 92-826-3810-3
© ECSC-EEC-EAEC, Brussels · Luxembourg, 1992
Printed in France PREFACE
Since the mid 1970's industry in Europe has performed less well in comparison with the
USA and especially compared to Japan. Europe has also lost ground in basic research
where its spending on R & D (as a percentage of GDP) is below both the USA and
Japan. However, the completion of the single market by the end of 1992 and the future
prospect of an enlarged Community of EC16, or 18+ by the 21st century offers the
potential for a resurgence in European manufacturing. Collectively, the papers in this
series demonstrate how anthropocentric production systems can fulfill this potential
Based upon extensive research on the various sectors and regions of European
manufacturing, the different reports converge towards a common conclusion: that reliance
upon technology alone is an inadequate response to the challenges of world markets in
the future; that successful modernisation of European industry depends upon its most
valuable resource - human skills and creativity.
This report is part of a publication series presenting the results of FAST research on the
"prospects and conditions for anthropocentric production systems in Europe by the 21st
Century". The research was sponsored by the European Commission MONITOR -
FAST Programme, 1989-1992 and generously co-funded by the government of Nordrhein
Westfalen in the Federal Republic of Germany" by its "Landesprogramm Mensch und
Technik sozialverträgliche Technikgestaltung". Research teams from all countries of the
European Community participated in the project, as well as researchers from the USA,
Japan and Australia. More than twenty reports are available or are in the process of
publication providing a comprehensive and comparative assessment of the human aspects
of advanced manufacturing in Europe.
All of the studies in the series address the general issue of defining anthropocentric
production systems: national research traditions and manufacturing experience in the
various member states have produced different interpretations ofc
production systems; this is regarded as a strength not a weakness of European
manufacturing in the sense that European diversity suggests a number of possible
trajectories of change in manufacturing in response to world competition in the 1990's
rather than a unilinear path of development, or an assumption that there is "one best
way" of managing technological change. A central feature of the research was close
collaboration between the research teams and workshop discussions: this helped to
identify a common minimal definition of anthropocentric production systems and a
common analytical framework for country comparisons without the strairjacket of a
predetermined research schema which would have lacked sensitivity to cultural
differences in Europe.
APS can be defined as advanced manufacturing based on the optimal utilisation of skilled
human resoures, collaborative industrial organisation and adapted technologies. All the
reports in the series explore the concept of APS in some detail, especially the general s by Werner Wobbe - series no. 1, Paul Kidd - series no. 3 and Franz Lehner -
series no. 4.
m The reports comprise the research results of four networks:
The first covers country studies co-ordinated by the Institut Arbeit Technik,
Gelsenkirchen. It included social scientists from the member states who are to investigate
the socioeconomic factors which affect the prospects and conditions for APS by the early
21st Century. This included, in addition, a synthesis report, comparing the research
results from the various member states (Franz Lehner, Report no. 4) and special
consideration of the less industrialized member states (coordinated by Sean O'Siochru,
NEXUS, Ireland: Report no. 6).
Secondly, a Technical Recommendations Network, coordinated by P. Kidd (Cheshire -
Henbury), comprising technical experts, who addressed the interface between the
technical features of advanced manufacturing and human resources in order to identify
future research priorities for the European Commission (Report noJ3).
A third network, coordinated by D. Brandt (HDZ, Aachen), undertook a survey of case
studies of the application of APS in the member states (Report no. 2).
Fourthly, the CAPIRN Network (Culture and Production International Research
Network) coordinated by Felix Rauner (Bremen) and Richard Gordon (Santa Cruz),
reports on the results of an international project on production cultures, comparing
Europe with Japan, USA, and Australia and situating its analysis in the context of
Anthropocentric Production Systems.
The series also includes a number of related studies of specific issues concerning the
implications of APS for technology design.
A follow-up of the research on APS is being conducted by the European
Man/Technology network composed of research institutes which will continue to work on
aspects of managagement of change towards APS and incorporate these aspects into
their consulting activities and teaching.
The European network will present particular case study material, which will also be
published in this series.
IV CONTENTS
Page
PREFACE III
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VI
CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION Ί
CHAPTER 2 : APPROACHINGAPS5
2.1 APS : Examples&Descriptions6
2.1.1 The Work Place6
2.1.2 Group Work7
2.1.3 Technical Tools 9
2.1.4OrganisationalTools12
2.1.5Conclusion16
CHAPTER 3 : THE MULTIDIMENSIONAL APPROACH OF APS:
TOWARDS A COMPLETE SYSTEM Ί 7
3.1 The Dimensions of APS:
Education, Organisation, Technology,andManagement 17
3.2 APS Organisation Design 20
3.3 APS Technology23
CHAPTER 4 : THEECONOMICBENEFITS OF APS AND
STRATEGICISSUES27
4.1 Benefits Reported by Case Studies 27
4.2 New Market Requirements&theStrategic Asset ofAPS31
4.2.1 High Quality 31
4.2.2Customization32
4.3 StrategicProduction Parametershaveshifted34
4.4 Responsiveness:The In-built Learning Organisation is at Stake36
CHAPTER5:THESTATEOF INTRODUCTION OF APS IN EUROPE 39
5.1 LessIndustrialized Member Countries (LIMS) 40
5.2 Modernisation Obstacles in IndustrialisedCountries of
the Community 4143 CHAPTER 6 : WORLD DEVELOPMENT AND APS
6.1 Anthropocentric Production Cultures in Germany,
43 USA & Japan
45 6.2 Lean Production & Japanese Management Concepts
6.3 Where are the Differences & Communalities
47 between Lean Production & APS?
51 CHAPTER 7 : CONCLUSIONS
57 CHAPTER 8 : RECOMMENDATIONS
8.1 FOSTER A RAPID IMPLEMENTATION OF
57 ANTHROPOCENTRIC PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
8.Π EXPAND THE APPROACH IN RTD TO ACHIEVE
WORLD COMPETITIVENESS BY BALANCING
ORGANISATION, HUMAN RESOURCES & TECHNOLOGY 62
8.HI INITIATE A WORLD PROGRAMME ON APS FOR
THE DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 66
References 69
Annex 1 The FAST Assessment Exercise on
73 Anthropocentric Production Systems
Annex 2 ATA 1 Advisory Board 79
81 Annex 3 List of APS Research Papers Series
VI EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
ESSENTIALS ABOUT "ANTHROPOCENTRIC PRODUCTION SYSTEMS fAPSV'
1. Advanced Manufacturing
APS is advanced manufacturing based on the optimal utilisation of skilled human
resources, collaborative industrial organisation and adapted technologies.
APS are a Competitive Tool
APS are perceived as a productive and competitive tool for industrial
modernisation. They are not a derivative of social policies or the humanisation
of working life.
3. Pure Technology Concepts have Led to Misinvestment
The concept of APS points to the insufficiency of competitive strategies with pure
technology. The dominant CIM concept (Computer Integrated Manufacturing)
of the 80's was misleading, and often caused heavy misinvestments by one-sided
technology oriented implementation measures.
4. APS balances technology, organisation and human factors in a holistic concept.
It is a multi-dimensional concept composed