Introducing Customized ICT for Operators in Manufacturing

Paper in proceeding, 2015

The need for flexibility combined with higher complexity create challenges on todays manufacturing systems and the human operators doing the tasks. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) as cognitive automation and to increase information sharing among the operators has been discussed as important tools to meet those challenges. A highly customized mobile application has been developed at a large Swedish manufacturing company. This application has been introduced on smartphone devices to the operators in a manufacturing process. This paper presents empirical findings from the first year of this test. The study provides an example where information and communication technology have enabled manufacturing operators to perform new work tasks through increased trust and knowledge.