Manufacturing and assembly firms in high wage rate jurisdictions have strategic goals of productivity improvement and utilization of automation in their direct operations. In this environment, ergonomics is often thought of as an activity to mitigate injuries in the workplace and remain compliant with health and safety standards rather than a tactic for achieving operating cost targets derived from corporate strategy.

This reflective case study illustrates how a lean Canadian auto parts supplier achieved productivity targets through ergonomic improvement of an indirect operation. A legacy material handling process involved the manual transfer of boxes at different stages of the assembly operation in two different departments. This task was performed by many operators throughout the workday and was not identified specifically as an ergonomics problem; however, it did consume significant operator time when considered in the aggregate, and operators were rotated through the job frequently to prevent fatigue.

After redesign, manual transfer of boxes was eliminated and operator available time was increased. Subsequently, a direct operation that was being performed in a separate subassembly cell could be moved online, eliminating the need for that cell. Additionally, automation opportunities have been identified in the new material handling process.