Flexible work organization in manufacturing — A simulation-supported feasibility study

This paper looks at the question of what conditions are required to make work organization in manufacturing more flexible. Therefore, we have derived hypotheses for the extent of flexibilization of manufacturing systems. In the foreground are various forms of working times and different skills of staff. The related hypotheses are tested using a personnel-centered simulation procedure as part of a feasibility study. This study is based on representative models of one-of-a-kind production, medium-scale and large-scale series production. The simulation approach makes it possible to quantify the effects of flexible working times and staff assignments in addition to verifying the proposed hypotheses.