Every successful product is the result of the daily efforts of the people involved. At CONTACT Research, we conduct research into process-ergonomic methods and solutions that value the people working within the PLM process and balance their workload accordingly. As part of forward-looking 'New Work' approaches, we are developing a flexible working tool that considers the personal circumstances of employees, optimizing their motivation and ensuring long-term human performance. To this end, we are investigating the integrated functions of CONTACT Elements that make it possible to describe employees using more parameters than just their areas of responsibility, as well as the possibility of utilizing these parameters. In doing so, we provide teams with forward-looking tools to continuously stabilize their working systems. This user-centered approach to work management ensures a sustainable increase in efficiency and process quality and can significantly boost the sector's appeal to current and future generations.
This expansion of our software modules directly responds to pressing market challenges. Demographic change, shifting expectations among future generations, and the shift towards agile organizational forms are critical realities for industrial companies today. At CONTACT Research, we translate analyses of these societal trends into robust, concrete software functionalities. This is because continuous, people-centered development of the work system is an economic necessity, not an optional convenience, if we are to sustainably secure our clients’ capacity for innovation and future viability.
Our practical research therefore focuses on use cases in the following four key areas:
Social trends & foresight
We identify factors affecting our software from social (mega) trends and foresight in manufacturing industries.Process ergonomics & participatory work organization
We are exploring concepts that enable practitioners to provide active feedback on their specific tasks within PLM, with a view to resolving organizational weaknesses in the processes collaboratively and as a team.Detailed worksystem & person description
We are developing methods for a holistic description of the employee in CONTACT Elements. By taking into account not only traditional areas of responsibility but also personal and situational factors, we enable a more considerate and healthier distribution of tasks.Reducing cognitive load & improving efficiency
We are conducting research into practical strategies for maintaining mental resilience in complex project and product contexts, with the aim of ensuring team motivation in line with the principles of New Lean Engineering and actively reducing error rates in engineering.
Together with partners from industry and academia, we are exploring how effective work system management and organizational empathy can be achieved within PLM. In doing so, we are showing teams new avenues for action to sustainably ensure productivity and efficiency through an appreciative, stable and future-proof working environment. The CONTACT Elements New Work module is an in-house research project run by CONTACT Research.
If you’d like to learn more, or if you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact us. We’re always open to discussing ideas with you so that together we can bridge the gap between modern PLM and a sustainable future of work.
