Crossing the Border: The Social and Engineering Design of Computer Integrated Manufacturing Systems (Human-centred Systems)

Crossing the Border examines the emergence of a new philosophy based on the idea of "human-centred technology" and, through the use of a case study, illustrates the ways in which users, social scientists, managers and engineers can participate in the design and development of human-centred computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) system. The book offers a unique insight into a large European project (ESPRIT project 1217) aimed at the design and development of a human-centred CIM system. The book examines the problems inherent in developing interdisciplinary design methods and of "crossing the border" between the social and engineering sciences. The authors offer proposals and guidelines for overcoming such problems based on their experience within this project. Crossing the Border will be of particular interest to researchers and practitioners in the area of factory automation, to students and researchers in AI, and to all those interested in the human and organisational issues surrounding the computerised factory of the future.

1. The Work-Oriented Shaping Perspective: The Problem Setting and Perspectives.- 1.1 Do We Need a New Paradigm.- 1.2 The Technique-Oriented Approach.- 1.2.1 Background and Assumptions.- 1.2.2 Example.- 1.2.3 “Weaknesses” in the Practical Implementation.- 1.3 The Sociotechnical Approach.- 1.3.1 Background and Assumptions.- 1.3.2 Examples.- 1.3.3 “Weaknesses” in the Practical Implementation.- 1.4 The Human-Centred Approach.- 1.4.1 Background and Assumptions.- 1.4.2 Examples.- 1.4.3 Possible Limitations and Challenges of the Human-Centred Approach.- 1.5 Towards a Work-Oriented Shaping Approach.- 1.6 Summary.- 2 The Interdisciplinary Design of Computer-Integrated Manufacturing Systems: ESPRIT Project 1217 (1199) Part One.- 2.1 Introduction.- 2.2 Experiences of Interdisciplinary Collaboration During the First Year of the Project.- 2.2.1 TheUK CAM Group.- 2.2.2 The Danish CAD Group.- 2.2.3. The German CAP Group.- 2.3 Evaluation of the First-Year Experiences in the Three National Groups.- 2.3.1 National Differences.- 2.3.2 Critical Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Collaboration During the First Year of the Project.- 2.4 The “Shaping Paper” — Intentions, Reactions and Influence.- 2.4.1 Intentions: The International Social Science Group (ISSG).- 2.4.2 The Social Shaping of Technology and Work.- A Introduction.- B The Concept of Technological Shaping.- B.1 Introduction.- B.2 The Role of Technological Rationality.- B.3 Technological Rationality and the Mechanistic World Picture.- B.4 Work and Personality from a Holistic Perspective.- B.4.1 The Search for a New Paradigm.- B.4.2 The Concept of “Life-World” and “System”.- B.4.3 The Concept of “Praxis”.- B.4.4 The Relation Between Mind and Body.- B.4.5 The Relationship between Working Conditions and the Personality.- B.5 Fields of Technology Shaping.- C Dimensions of Human-Centred Work.- C.1 Introduction.- C.2 The Relationship of Work and Technology.- C.3 Work and Communication.- C.4 Work and Learning.- C.4.1 The Relationship Between Cultivation (Bildung) and Qualification.- D Methods for Evaluating and Shaping Computer-Aided Technology and Work.- D.1 Introduction.- D.2 A Scenario.- D.2.1 Range of Products.- D.2.2 The Factory.- D.2.3 The Production Island.- D.2.4 The Workplace.- 3 The Scenario Related to the Dimensions and Criteria of Experiencing, Shaping and Evaluating Work.- D.3.1 The Normative Perspective of the Shaping Process.- D.3.2 Dimensions of Work.- D.3.3 Example of How to Use the Dimensions of Work in the Shaping and Evaluation Process.- D.3.4 Criteria for Human-Machine Interface Design.- D.3.5 Summary.- D.4 How to Shape and Evaluate Computer-Aided Technology and Work.- D.4.1 Typical Shortcomings of Conventional Methods of System Development.- D.4.2 The Search after Methods in Accordance with the New Paradigm.- E References.- 2.4.3 Reactions of the Engineers to the Shaping Paper.- 2.4.4 The Influence of the Shaping Paper on the Project.- Interdisciplinary Collaboration in the Second Half of ESPRIT Project 1217 (1199).- 3.1 Experiences of Interdisciplinary Collaboration at the National Level.- 3.1.1 The British CAM Group.- 3.1.2 The Danish CAD Group.- 3.1.3 The German CAP Group.- 3.2 Experiences of Collaboration at the International Level.- 3.2.1 The International Data Management Group.- 3.3 Lessons Learned.- 3.3.1 Constraints on Interdisciplinary Collaboration.- 3.3.2 Experiences of Improved Collaboration During the Project.- 4 Crossing the Border.- 4.1 Crossing the Border — A Tentative Definition.- 4.1.1 Fields of Action.- 4.1.2 Agents Involved in the Shaping Process.- 4.1.3 Shaping Competence.- 4.2 Participatory Systems Development.- 4.2.1 Hierarchic-Sequential Design Tradition.- 4.2.2 The Limitations of Traditional Design.- 4.2.3 Technology Shaping.- 4.3 The Shaping Process.- 4.4 Prospective Example of the Shaping Process as a Rolling Development.- 4.4.1 Preparation of the Shaping Process.- 4.4.2 Future-Creating Workshops.- 4.4.3 Shaping Workshops.- 4.4.4 Coordination of the Results of the Shaping Workshops.- 4.4.5 The Second Shaping Workshop.- 4.4.6 Seminar with Outside Experts.- 4.4.7 Conclusion.- 4.5 Summary and Conclusions.- References.