Agile workforce evaluation: a framework for cross-training and coordination

Abstract This paper outlines approaches for assessing and classifying manufacturing and service operations in terms of their suitability for use of cross-trained (flexible) workers. We refer to our overall framework as agile workforce evaluation. The primary contributions of this paper are: (i) a strategic assessment framework that structures the key mechanisms by which cross-training can support organizational strategy; (ii) a tactical framework that identifies key factors to guide the selection of an architecture and worker coordination policy for implementing workforce agility; (iii) a classification of workforce agility architectures; (iv) a survey of a broad range of archetypical classes of worker coordination policies; (v) a survey of the literature with an operational perspective on workforce agility; and (vi) identification of opportunities for research and development of architectures for specific production environments. Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the National Science Foundation under grants DMI-9732868, DMI-0099821 and DMI-0114598 and the assistance of American Steel Foundries, Bell + Howell Corp. (UMI), GE Financial Assurance, Hewitt Associates, IBM, John Deere Co., Northwestern Memorial Hospital, R.R. Donnelley & Sons Co., Ruud Lighting Corp., TCS (Aspect Communications), and United Airlines.