HRM: Work Process Design – G. Grote ETHZ, Fall08 HRM: Work process design Overview

HRM: Work Process Design – G. Grote ETHZ, Fall08

HRM: Work process design

Overview

23.9. Introduction

30.9. The role of HRM in strategic management

7.10. Tutorial Work process analysis - System level

14.10. Tutorial Work process analysis - Individual job level

21.10. Management of uncertainty as basis for work process design

28.10. Job design

4.11. Effects of job design: Stress/health, motivation, competence development

11.11. Coordination of work: Collaborative planning

18.11. Methods for analyzing work processes

25.11. Work process design embedded in organizational change

2.12. Integration of "fi t task to human" and "fit human to task"

9.12. Disucsssion of student projects

16.12. Exam preparation


General purpose of work process analysis

Description of tasks performed by individuals Description of work flows within and across

work systemsTo be used for

– Human resource planning and development– Job evaluation and compensation– Job (re)design– Design of (socio-)technical systems


Different perspectives in work process analysis

job-oriented versus worker-oriented– description of tasks to be performed – required behavior, knowledge, skills, abilities

expert-based versus person-oriented– description/evaluation by external expert– description/evaluation by person carrying out

the task


Methods for data collection

Analysis of documents/archival data– Advantages: non-reactive, "condensed organizational knowledge"

Disadvantages: not aligned with purpose of the investigation Written survey

– Advantages: objective, applicable for large samples– Disadvantages: no control over the actual data collection, response

biases Interview

– Advantages: control over data collection, complex issues possible– Disadvantages: resource-intensive, interviewer influences

Observation – Advantages: access to implicit knowledge, natural situation– Disadvantages: subjective meaning of the observed unknown, no

control over the occurrence of the events under study


Examples of specific methods for work process analysis "Observation interview"

– shadow a worker performing the tasks of interest, mix of observation periods and questions

Structured job classification – identify the specific characteristics of a job from a

predefined set of tasks/functions/elements

Critical incident technique– identify critical elements for good performance

based on examples of successful/poor performance


Example 1: Hierarchical task analysis

Job-oriented, expert-based Frequently used in socio-technical system design

and for work flow modelling Output: List of tasks and sub-tasks and their

required sequence– Example: 1. Warm up furnace

1.1 Prepare plant and services1.1.1 Ensure plant is ready1.1.2 Ensure gas-oil available...1.2 Start air blower...1.3 Start oil pump...


Main process stages

Fagus network

First stage : Long -and medium term planning Second stage : Bid processing Third stage : Harvesting and hauling Fourth stage : Transporting wood Fifth stage : Measuring wood and billing

Forest ranger

Service provider (harvesting )

Public forest owner

Service provider

(hauling )

Third party logistics provider ( 3PL )

Industry customer

( paper and pulp mills )

Regional customer ( saw mills )

Private forest owner

Forest administration ( canton / district )

Association of forest owners

Service provider( freight carrier )

Developing annual plan ( financial

budgeting )

Approving annual plan

Demand planning (12 months

demand )

Demand planning (12 months demand )

Requesting for quotations

( maximum delivery volume ? )

Requesting maximum delivery volume (for one

year )

Requesting customer’s annual

need

Notifying about maximum volume

Notifying about annual delivery

volume

Supply =

demand ?

Reducing delivery

volume per supplier

Ad -hoc decision -making with forest

owners and 3PL

Re -requesting whether delivery

volume can be increased

Evaluating

harvesting sites by sight

Medium - term plannig of harvesting and hauling processes

Assessing what (manual ) site preparation is needed for mechanical harvesting

Marking out trees to be felled at harvesting sites

Order releasing for the coming month

Briefing machine

operator on harvesting site

Enquiring take -over sequrity

Reconfirming take -

over sequirity with customer

Scheduling resource

availability and attandance

Setting up machinery (for mechanical

harvesting ) at sites

Harvesting process

Short -term planning , reservation , and setting up machinery (for

mechanical hauling ) at sitesHauling process

Storing wood according customer orders

( „poltern“ )

Requesting information on

transport volume for the coming two weeks

Informing about delivery

volume

Communicating information on stacked

roundwood ( site , volume , quality , assortments ) to 3PL

Formulating transfer order

Customer owns trucks

Scheduling truck drivers

Picking up wood from forest storage locations

Delivering wood to

customers

Unloading wood

Measuring wood

Short -term planning of hauling process

Notifying about annual demand

Formulating blanket order

Fomulating blanket order

Collating information on

stacked roundwood

Formulating transfer order

Invoicing

Invoicing

Medium -term planning of plantation , maintenance ,

and harvesting

Medium -term planning of plantation , maintenance ,

and harvesting

Providing customers from timber industry with

information on maximum delivery volume in the

coming month

Short term planning (monthly

basis ): Information on timber supply is exchanged with 3 PL

Short -term planning

of hauling process

Cross - banding harvesting sites

Sending delivery permits

to forest rangers

Truck driver is familiar with

harvesting sites Collating information on forest districts , storage

locations , and identification numbers

Collating identification

numbers of timber for each forest district

Developing pf operating plan based on guidelines given by forest

administration

Assisting the forest ranger with developing the

operating plan

Collating information on storage locations , quality

and volume of timber

Medium - term planning , i.e . plan development based on

physical inventory data , information on tree

population etc .

Informing about delivery

volume

Operating plan , defines maximum harvesting volume

for coming ten years

Operating plan Annual plan

Demand plan

Demand plan

yes

noSupply > demand

yes

no

Customer blanket order ( for one year )

Customer blanket order ( for one year )

Medium -term planning of resources

Evaluating harvesting sites

by sight

Short term planning (monthly basis ): Information on timber

supply is gathered from forest rangers

Medium - term plannig

of harvesting and hauling processes

Medium - term plannig of harvesting and hauling processes

Delivery permit (fixed volume per supplier )

Short -term scheduling of

service providers based on delivery permit

Attendance and resource availability

information

Rough routing

and scheduling

Routing information

Invoice

Information on harvesting site ,

volume , and quality

Documenting information on

harvesting

Hauling information (site , volume , assortments )

Hauling information (site , volume , assortments )

Invoices from different forest

districts

Invoice

Invoice

Invoice

Invoices from different forest

districtsInformation on timber

stores in forests

Wood transportation organized by customer

yes

no

yes

no

Information on identification numbers

Information on forest districts , storage

locations , and identification numbers

Information on forest districts , storage locations , and identification numbers

Routing and scheduling

yes

Detailed routing and scheduling

no

Transfer order (delivery due date )

Transfer order (delivery due date )

Transportation order

Sending credit notes to forest owners and service providers

Invoicing

Transfer of sums of money to 3 PL

Information on volume , quality , and

resulting price

Payment recipe

Invoice

Invoice

Legend

Process step

Document , information carrier

Decision

Flow of materials or information (one .way or both - way )

Ad -hoc decision -making with forest

owners and 3PL

Example Supply Chain in Forestry (Günter, 2007)


Forest ranger

Transportation contractor

Scheduling truck drivers

Picking up wood from forest storage locations

Delivering wood to

customers

Collating identification numbers of timber for each

forest district

Information on forest districts, storage locations, and identification numbers

Detailed routing and scheduling

30

29

31

29: 3PL providers do not provide transportation contractors with long- and medium term information on planned harvesting processes, hence transportation contractors do not have the opportunity for long- and medium term scheduling of resources.

30: Information on delivery volume or quality is missing or underspecified which affords transportation contractors to get more detailed information from forest rangers and reconfirm information.

31: Truck drivers load timber in accordance with orders given to them by the transportation contractor but do not confirm the quality of the timber – it is not always clear whether truck drivers are responsible for assessing quality of timber at all.


Example 2: Job evaluation

Job-/worker-oriented, expert-based Used to develop compensation systems Output: "value" of different jobs based on a

predefined set of weighted criteria– Example ("Vereinfachte Funktionsanalyse" VFA):

1) Education and experience (weight 6)

2) Cognitive demans (weight 6)

3) Responsibility (weight 5)

4) Psychological demands and strains (weight 1)

5) Physical demands and strains (weight 1)

6) Strenuous working conditions (weight 1)


Example 3: "Human-centred" job/work system analysis

Job-oriented, expert-based Used for job (re)design based on principles

of humane work Output: Assessment of quality of job and

redesign requirements– Example KOMPASS (see student project)

H U M A N T A S K

M o t i v a t i o n t h r o u g h t a s k o r i e n t a t i o n

T a s k c o m p l e t e n e s s

P l a n n i n g a n d d e c i s i o n m a k i n g r e q u i r e m e n t

T a s k v a r i e t y

C o m m u n i c a t i o n r e q u i r e m e n t s

O r g a n i z a t i o n a l t r a n s p a r e n c y

C o n t r o l o v e r w o r k i n g c o n d i t i o n s

O p p o r t u n i t i e s f o r l e a r n i n g a n d d e v e l o p m e n t

T e m p o r a l f l e x i b i l i t y

W O R K S Y S T E M

S e l f - r e g u l a t i o n i n

s m a l l c o n t r o l l o o p s

T a s k c o m p l e t e n e s s

R e l a t i v e i n d e p e n d e n c e

F i t o f r e g u l a t i o n n e e d s a n d o p p o r t u n i t i e s

P o l y v a l e n c e o f o p e r a t o r s

A u t o n o m y o f p r o d u c t i o n g r o u p s

B o u n d a r y r e g u l a t i o n b y s u p e r i o r s

H U M A N - M A C H I N E S Y S T E M

C o n t r o l l a b i l i t y

b y h u m a n o p e r a t o r

P r o c e s s t r a n s p a r e n c y

D y n a m i c c o u p l i n g

F i t o f d e c i s i o n a u t h o r i t y a n d r e s p o n s i b i l i t y

F l e x i b l e f u n c t i o n a l l o c a t i o n

C o m p e t e n c e f o r

c o p i n g w i t h v a r i a n c e s

a t t h e i r s o u r c e

C r i t e r i a f o r c o m p l e m e n t a r y s y s t e m d e s i g n


Example 4: Subjective job analysis

Job-oriented, person-oriented Used for job redesign and work satisfaction

surveys Output: Description/assessment of job by

employees themselves– Example Job Diagnostic Survey:

Questions on perceived skill variety, task variety, task significance, autonomy, feedback


Example 5: Results of a subjective job analysis in a redesign project

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Need to combine "objective" and "subjective" perspectives

Expert for the assessment of a work situation – external observer and/or workers themselves ?

Objective conditions and subjective re-interpretation of these conditions are relevant determinants of action

Compensation of different kinds of biases (stemming from norms, needs, social context, different uses for data etc.)

Documents

HRM: Work Process Design – G. Grote ETHZ, Fall08 HRM: Work process design Overview