Integration of a visual control task into the operator's work: the case of an electronic plant

The level of quality demanded nowadays by manufacturers brings the traditional compromise between the cost of quality control and the profits expected by the firm. It is observed that the monitoring and control of the manufacturing process is being substituted for the control of the product whenever possible. Workers in a manufacturing plant now find themselves entrusted with control task in addition to their regular jobs. The effects of this new form of task reorganisation on the efficiency and work load of the operators is still poorly understood.
What will be the consequences of this choice on the activity of the operator, and on the efficiency of the control task ? Is there a conflict between the product control objectives and those of process controlÊ? What effect will this have on the work load ? Such were the questions addressed during a study in an electronics workshop where they had just installed ÒÊjust-in-time deliveryÊÓ. This study demonstrates the importance of exchanges between the different departments, and their incidence on both work load and quality.
The results led us to suggest that the functions of the quality controller be adapted rather than suppressed.