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Part 

2

  People and Organizations

138

Work system design

A  system  is  a  set  of  practices  or  activities  that  fit 

together  and  interact  to  achieve  a  purpose.  Work 

system design is concerned with how the various pro-

cesses required to make a product or provide a service 

should operate. It deals with the set of related act-

ivities that combine to give a result that customers 

want. The structure of the system describes the rela-

tions between different operations.

A work system may be centred on activities such 

as manufacturing, chemical processing, information 

processing, supply, distribution, transport, the pro-

vision of public services or customer service. There 

is  usually  a  choice  between  different  processes 

within the work system. As the design of the work 

system  affects  costs,  quality  and  productivity  it  is 

important  to  provide  the  best  match  between  the 

product or service and the process used to make 

or deliver it.

Process-centred organizations

Process-centred  organizations  avoid  focusing  too 

closely  on  the  design  of  a  rigid  work  system  but 

instead  concentrate  on  the  stream  of  products  or 

services  required  and  the  processes  required  to 

ensure  that  work  flows  smoothly  to  the  ultimate 

satisfaction of the customer or client. They have the 

following features:

 

●

The focus is on horizontal processes that cut 

across organizational boundaries.

 

●

The overriding objective will be to maintain 

a smooth flow of work between functions 

and to achieve synergy by pooling resources 

from different functions in task forces or 

project teams.

 

●

The organization will not be based on the 

old hierarchical ‘command and control’ 

structure, ie one that consists of a functional 

structure with a number of different 

disciplines. Instead it will be a ‘lattice’, or 

‘matrix’ organization (a lattice organization 

is one with a non-hierarchical, flat structure 

where the emphasis is on horizontal 

processes, the elimination of boundaries 

between functions and teamwork; a matrix 

organization is one that consists of a 

functional structure with a number of 

different disciplines and a project structure 

consisting of project teams drawn from the 

disciplines);

 

●

There may still be designated functions for, 

say, manufacturing, sales and distribution, 

but the emphasis will be on how these areas 

work together on multifunctional projects to 

deal with demands such as product/market 

development.

 

●

Belief in and reliance on teamwork.

 

●

Expansion of traditional jobs and increased 

emphasis on flexible roles, with employees 

making decisions and dealing with all types 

of customer issues.

 

●

Access to all types of information and 

knowledge throughout the organization.

 

●

Quality and continuous improvement will be 

regarded as a common responsibility shared 

between managers and staff from each 

function.

Process planning

Work system design covers the planning of processes 

such  as  flexible  manufacturing  systems  (computer 

numerical control machines controlled by a central 

computer that allows fast and easy changes between 

products),  and  supply  chain  management  (the  

control  of  products  from  the  original  suppliers  

of materials through to the final customers). It may 

involve  facility  layout  –  the  physical  arrangement  

of equipment, offices, rooms, work stations (includ-

ing ‘hot-desks’  –  individual  desks  shared  between 

several people) and other resources.

Process planning may determine how manufac-

turing or the provision of a service should be divided 

into a series of stages such as machines in a produc-

tion  line,  each  of  which  uses  resources  and  adds 

value.

Requirements to be met in work 

system design

When designing a work system it is necessary to see 

that it will:

 

●

fit work requirements for efficiency and 

flexibility;

 

●

ensure the smooth flow of processes or 

activities, or of materials from supplier to 

customer;

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