In the previous study, we conducted the observation and evaluation experiments to subject the assembly work for an air control valve actuator, and we found that there were improvements in the workers performance at visual-type written procedure as compared to the conventional-type (mainly written text). In this paper, the observation and evaluation experiments to subject the assembly work for a small horizontal pump were carried out as another instrument. We evaluated from the point of how to read a written procedure, and the product of each indicator of three such as “awkwardness ” and the working time in each work step. As a result, we confirmed that visual-type written procedure was useful as compared to the conventional-type as with the previous study. Also, it was found that GAP-type PSF list that was derived in the previous study was able to utilize to support creating the visual-type written procedures, and to be assessed the improvements of written procedures from PSF perspective.

View full abstract

It is commonly known that the measures were discussed by related workers as part of Root Cause Analysis (RCA). In this study, we tried to reveal that two kinds of information facilitated the discussion for planning substantial measures; One was structured Performance Shaping Factors (PSFs) which could express the context of the trouble event and the other was workplace culture model (WCM) proposed by Maeda et al. The idea of utilizing the structured PSFs for examining measures were proposed in our previous study. In the experimental discussions, these two kinds of information were provided to the participants in four ways and the participants tried to examine measures. The participants were four site workers and had experience of examining measures. In the experimental discussions, the participants’ verbal exchanges were recorded by a video camera and we expressed the process of debates as transition diagrams based on the verbal exchanges. The transition diagrams representing the process of debates were compared in order to estimate the effectiveness of the structured PSFs and the WCM. In addition, we focused on the role of the facilitator in the debates. From these results, we found that the two kinds of information facilitated the discussion for planning substantial measures; however, the information included some problems confusing the participants. Therefore, we reviewed the method of examining measures using the structured PSFs and the WCM and the effectiveness of the method were verified through experiments. Consequently, we proposed the useful method of examining measures using the structured PSFs and the WCM.

View full abstract