Patterns for Analysis of Human Resource Flexibility in Manufacturing

Human resource flexibility has to reflect manifold demands, influences and stakeholders, each with individual and different criteria. The main external drivers of flexibility are volatile markets and short delivery times. Additional demands for flexibility are internal caused by machine breakdowns, material shortages or unplanned absence times of workers. Nevertheless, the employees themselves claim more and more flexible working hours to reflect their individual and personal requirements. This paper highlights the requirements for human resource flexibility and describes rules and patterns to analyze the current situation and solution for human resource flexibility in manufacturing companies. The patterns give operational advices to experts how to analyze the requirements and to compare them with a specific solution. The rational is not to implement the highest possible human resource flexibility, but to find a solution with the most appropriate flexibility, which reflects the requirements exactly and, at the other hand, avoids costs for an unnecessary or wrong flexibility.