Paul H.P. Yeow

Quality, productivity, occupational health and safety and cost effectiveness of ergonomic improvements in the test workstations of an electronic factory

Abstract An ergonomic study was conducted to improve the workstations for electrical tests in a printed circuit assembly (PCA) factory in an industrially developing country (IDC). Subjective assessment and direct observation methods were used on the operators to discover the problems in their workstations. The problems found were: (i) poor workstation design, (ii) mix-up of tested and untested boards, (iii) missing or incorrect test steps, and (iv) unclear pass/fail colour inspection criteria. Ergonomic interventions implemented were: (i) an improved workstation with space for resting arms and the oscilloscope and computer keyboards within easy reach of the operators; (ii) clear segregation of tested and untested boards to prevent mix-up; (iii) retraining of operators by more qualified trainers; and (iv) reference colour samples for more effective recognition of different colours in the projection screen. The results were average savings in yearly rejection cost (of US

User acceptance of Malaysian government multipurpose smartcard applications

574,560), reduction in rejection rate, increase in monthly revenue, improvements in productivity, quality, operators’ working conditions and occupational health and safety (OHS) and enhancement in customers’ satisfaction. The cost of the interventions was less than US

KM implementation in Malaysian telecommunication industry: An empirical analysis

1100. The interventions implemented were simple and inexpensive but resulted in many benefits. Relevance to industry The study will be beneficial, if repeated in other PCA or electronic factories in IDCs, in terms of improvements in quality, productivity and OHS of the workers, as most of them have similar manufacturing processes and equipment and poor awareness in ergonomics.

Internet banking adoption: Comparing developed and developing countries

Abstract The study explores the extent of user acceptance of the national identity card (NIC) and driving license (DL) applications embedded in the Malaysian government multipurpose smartcard (called MyKad). A research framework was developed based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. Two hundred questionnaires were randomly distributed to respondents in the Multimedia Super Corridor, Malaysia. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The research discovered that Malaysians do not have high intentions to use MyKad NIC and DL applications. The reasons being lack of understanding of MyKads benefits (e.g. more secure and reliable NIC and DL, and less invasion of privacy, forgery, and identity theft), lack of facilitating conditions (e.g. non-availability of card readers during checks and non-recognition of MyKad) and anxiety of damaging the card due to excessive use. Consequently, there is a lack of social support (e.g. influence from peer group) and credibility of using the applications. The research had successfully adapted UTAUT model to study the user acceptance of MyKad applications. Recommendations were given to increase the acceptance rate and to resolve the discovered issues. The research can be replicated to investigate the acceptance of smart NIC and DL used in the US, the UK, China, India, and Hong Kong.

Acceptability of ATM and Transit Applications Embedded in Multipurpose Smart Identity Card: An Exploratory Study in Malaysia

Purpose – This paper aims assess to the perceived importance (PI) and actual implementation (AI) of five preliminary knowledge management (KM) success factors, i.e. business strategy, organizational structure, knowledge team, knowledge audit, and knowledge map in the Malaysian telecommunication industry.Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire survey was conducted on telecommunication organizations located in the capital of Malaysia. Data were analyzed using indices and parametric statistics.Findings – The results show that the organizations are aware of the importance of all the KM factors but fall short of implementation. The implemented factors consist of business strategy, organizational structure, and knowledge team. Knowledge audit and knowledge map are perceived as important but are the least implemented factors.Research limitations/implications – This study was conducted in only one industry in Malaysia. Furthermore, it focuses on the preliminary success factors of KM implementation rather th...

Proving external validity of ergonomics and quality relationship through review of real-world case studies

The research examines and compares crucial factors affecting consumer acceptance of Internet banking services (IBS) in two groups of culturally different countries i.e. the developed (the United States and Australia) and developing (Malaysia) countries. To date, no prior research considers cultural differences in studying IBS adoption of these countries although IBS is a global service. The research model is based on UTAUT model with two additional factors. A questionnaire was distributed to 766 respondents from the three countries. Results reveal that for both the developed and developing countries, attitude toward using IBS is the most important factor followed by performance expectancy. Due to cultural differences between the developed and developing countries (e.g. uncertainty avoidance, individualism, and power distance), perceived credibility of IBS is relevant only in the developed countries. This research helps banks promote their service globally. It also enhances UTAUT model.

A sustainable system of systems approach: a new HFE paradigm

The study investigates the acceptance of automated teller machine (ATM) and transit applications (Touch ‘n Go) embedded in Malaysian multipurpose smart identity card named as MyKad. A research framework was developed based on UTAUT model. Five hundred questionnaires were distributed. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results show that Malaysians do not have strong intentions of using the two applications due lack of understanding of the benefits and the efforts needed to use the applications. In addition, they have the misconception that there are insufficient facilities to support the usage of the applications. Consequently, there is no social support to use the applications. Moreover, they perceive that the applications do not have credibility. Besides, they are unsure if they use of the applications would cause anxieties. Recommendations were given to increase the acceptance and to resolve the issues.

An empirical study of factors affecting the perceived usability of websites for student Internet users

Prior lab experiment and simulated environment ergonomics studies revealed the cause-and-effect relationship between ergonomics and quality with high internal validity. However, the external validity, i.e. the generalisability of this relationship to field settings (manufacturing plants) cannot be ascertained unless field experiment studies are conducted. Therefore, the current study aims to review five field experiment ergonomics studies to strengthen the external validity of this relationship. The studies reviewed include Axelsson (2000. Quality and ergonomics: Towards successful integration. Thesis (PhD). Linköpink University) in an assembly plant, Gonzalez et al. (2003. Ergonomic performance and quality relationship: an empirical evidence case. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 31 (1), 33–40) in metal manufacturing, Yeow and Sen (2003. Quality, productivity, occupational health and safety and cost effectiveness of ergonomic improvements in the test workstations of an electronic factory. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 32 (3), 147–163; 2006. Productivity and quality improvements, revenue increment, and cost reduction in the manual component insertion lines through the application of ergonomics. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 36 (4), 367–377) in printed circuit assembly factories, and Erdinc and Vayvay (2008b. Ergonomics interventions improve quality in manufacturing: a case study. International Journal of Industrial and Systems Engineering, 3 (6), 727–745) in a textile factory. The manufacturing tasks, ergonomics and quality methodologies, ergonomics problems, ergonomics interventions, and quality improvement outcomes were examined. The study found that ergonomics problems, particularly awkward postures, cause human error which results in quality defects. All studies show significant reduction in defects and three studies show financial gains, i.e. savings on rejection costs. This research provides researchers and engineers an insight into why ergonomics problems can lead to poor quality and how to assess such problems and apply ergonomics interventions for higher quality performance in manufacturing.

Ergonomics improvements of the visual inspection process in a printed circuit assembly factory.

Sustainability issues such as natural resource depletion, pollution and poor working conditions have no geographical boundaries in our interconnected world. To address these issues requires a paradigm shift within human factors and ergonomics (HFE), to think beyond a bounded, linear model understanding towards a broader systems framework. For this reason, we introduce a sustainable system of systems model that integrates the current hierarchical conceptualisation of possible interventions (i.e. micro-, meso- and macro-ergonomics) with important concepts from the sustainability literature, including the triple bottom line approach and the notion of time frames. Two practical examples from the HFE literature are presented to illustrate the model. The implications of this paradigm shift for HFE researchers and practitioners are discussed and include the long-term sustainability of the HFE community and comprehensive solutions to problems that consider the emergent issues that arise from this interconnected world. Practitioner Summary: A sustainable world requires a broader systems thinking than that which currently exists in ergonomics. This study proposes a sustainable system of systems model that incorporates ideas from the ecological sciences, notably a nested hierarchy of systems and a hierarchical time dimension. The implications for sustainable design and the sustainability of the HFE community are considered.

Factors Influencing Audit Technology Acceptance by Audit Firms: A New I-TOE Adoption Framework

This study analysed Student Internet Users’ (SIUs’) perception of Web usability. Adopting a user testing method, seven Web Usability Factors (WUFs) were tested for their significance in affecting the ease of use of website. Several elements in websites were also tested for their significance in affecting the WUFs. Result shows the most significant WUF is related to the aesthetic appeal of a website, i.e., Use of Colour and Font. However, it was found that most Web developers are not focusing on this important WUF. Elements such as site map, site search, product image catalogue and others were also found to positively affect SIUs’ perception of the WUFs. The results presented in this paper can be used as guidelines for designing usable websites for SIUs.