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This paper deals with the problems of staff planning, especially in highly automated production systems. In planning such systems, it is not sufficient to reflect only on technical details, but it is necessary to consider modern forms of work organization as well. As a planning tool to quantify dynamic processes, simulation will be used. After discussing the need for personnel-oriented simulation tools, two simulation studies will be presented, both focusing on planning the work organization in highly automated production systems in the field of mechanical engineering. The paper concludes with an outlook on future efforts in the regarded field of research.

This paper presents research activities associated with the development of a simulation tool for modelling human reliability in production systems. This dynamic model enables the planner to determine the consequences of changes in human reliability on the quality of the production processes and the products. The model is built upon the basis of a tool for human reliability analysis ESAT (Experten-System zur Aufgaben-Taxonomie; Aufgabentaxonomie: Ein Verfahren zur Ermittlung der menschlichen Leistung bei der Durchfuhrung von Aufgaben, Messerschmitt-Bolkow-Blohm, Ottobrunn, 1990.) and a personnel-oriented simulation programme ESPE (Engpassorientierte Simulation von Personalstrukturen; Ein engpassorientierter Ansatz zur simulationsunterstutzten Planung von Personalstrukturen, Dissertation, Karlsruhe University, 1994), developed at the ifab-Institute of Human and Industrial Engineering at the University of Karlsruhe. In addition to the definition and the calculation of the human error probabilities, the consequences of the human errors (i.e. rework and waste) for the quality of the processes and the products were also implemented. This method is able to systematically plan quality-oriented assignments of personnel to functions and workplaces (personnel structures) in production systems. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by a case study.