Task allocation in production systems – Measuring and Analysing Levels of Automation

Due to the paradigm of mass customisation, most of the tasks in final assembly are still performed by humans. Hence, the tasks are becoming more and more complex and the operators need not only physical but also cognitive support to perform their work. The paper discusses the need for a quantitative and easy-to-use method, which simultaneously considers physical and cognitive automation in order to choose and use the best suited Levels of Automation. A concept model used for task allocation is presented. It consists of a five-step main loop supported by other areas or relations were information is gathered to enable a decision in the main loop. The model is compared to Olders' et al. (1997) sixteen requirements for a task allocation method in order to prove its usefulness. The method has been developed, validated, and verified together with end-users (industry and novice users) in twenty companies to verify its practical ease-of-use.