Autor: Mathias Keil

Companies are constantly exposed to radical change. One approach to addressing these challenges is changeable production systems. Changeable production systems can only be as adaptable as the human being who is working in them. An integrated view of the dimensions of human beings, technology and organization is essential in this context. The Institute of Industrial Management and Factory Systems has wide experience and competences in the field of research of adaptable production. This is supported by the lab area of the IBF, called IBF-Lab, which allows interdisciplinary research. Practical application is demonstrated using an example of a research project.

Due to decreasing product life cycles, enterprises are determined to continually reconsider production and technology sequences in order to maintain their competitiveness. Given the rapid shift in today’s working environments, especially concerning duties and required qualifications, enterprises face the challenge to meet new, technology-driven demands in the context of demographic change. This article presents an approach to the issue of reconciling the altering skills of ageing employees with future worlds of technology in a systematic way.