Pernille Agerskov Clausen, Johan Bjerre Bach Clausen, Astrid Heidemann Lassen and Benjamin Henriksen
There is substantial evidence that Industry 4.0-enabled manufacturing projects frequently encounter slow progress or failure due to organizational misalignment. This paper…
Abstract
Purpose
There is substantial evidence that Industry 4.0-enabled manufacturing projects frequently encounter slow progress or failure due to organizational misalignment. This paper demonstrates the relevance of adopting a socio-technical approach when engaging in such projects.
Design/methodology/approach
A single embedded case study was conducted in a large wind turbine manufacturer, analyzing 42 digital manufacturing projects from 2018 to 2023 using interviews and surveys. A descriptive analysis identified patterns in successful projects, and hypotheses concerning relationships between variables were evaluated through regression analysis. In terms of theoretical conceptualization, the study adopts a socio-technical lens.
Findings
The study reveals relevant and targeted aspects for developing a socio-technical approach to guide the implementation of digital manufacturing projects. Our findings demonstrate that digital manufacturing projects exhibit diverse socio-technical configurations, each involving various social variables that contribute to project success. Through our proposed approach, we demonstrate how applying this framework can reveal patterns that drive project success.
Originality/value
This study represents one of the initial efforts to clarify an approach for evaluating diverse socio-technical project configurations by demonstrating it in a real-world context.
Details
Keywords
Søren Munch Lindhard, Astrid Heidemann Lassen, Yang Cheng, Matteo Musso, Geng Wang and Shaoping Bai
Exoskeletons are moving into industries with the potential to reduce muscle strains and prevent occupational injuries. Although exoskeletons have been designed and tested in…
Abstract
Purpose
Exoskeletons are moving into industries with the potential to reduce muscle strains and prevent occupational injuries. Although exoskeletons have been designed and tested in laboratory settings, rare empirical studies of their application in construction have been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study is on in a real-life setting testing the applicability of adopting exoskeletons in the construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A feasibility study of exoskeletons in construction is conducted by testing a passive exoskeleton, designed for shoulder support. Five bricklayers tested in a two-month period the exoskeleton, each wearing it for a three-day period while carrying out normal work activities. Test data in terms of interviews were collected and analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Findings
The application of exoskeletons in construction revealed several limitations, where the two primary ones are the exoskeleton is not designed while considering the tasks of a bricklayer causing several challenges and the exoskeleton only supports a single upward motion while limiting other movements and even counteracted when a downward movement was necessary.
Originality/value
The identified challenges could easily have been revealed by coupling the design and testing of exoskeletons to actual application. Thus, the design approach needs to be reversed. Instead of designing an exoskeleton to support a specific body part or motion and then identifying where it is applicable, it should target specific industries and focus on the actual work and movements and the necessary support. As part of the change, the design metrics should be reevaluated to reflect the work to support.