Ergo-Lot-Sizing: Considering Ergonomics in Lot-Sizing Decisions

One aspect that has mostly been overlooked in traditional economic lot-sizing is the implication of decisions on manual tasks and workload. Although lot-sizing decisions can have a significant impact on required manual material handling and on human performance, works that consider ergonomic aspects in lot-sizing are rare. This paper presents a model that integrates ergonomic aspect in terms of human energy expenditure and rest allowance in a traditional lot-sizing model. The behavior of the model is analyzed in a numerical study, showing its ability to reflect manual workload, and that ergonomic aspects should be considered in lot-sizing decisions.