Flexibility of machine and human resources

Let's look at the conditions for implementing flexibility in industrial organization, starting with the structural supports for flexibility, i.e. the possible sources of flexibility at the very heart of the material and human resources required in production. These include, for example, "flexible" automation and "multi-skilled" operators. To clarify matters, let's distinguish between the adaptability of machines, on the one hand, and that of people, on the other. Machines are those that implement automated systems for processing and manipulating materials (PLCs), and automated systems for processing information (expert systems).

While the property of "versatility" is reserved for individuals, and robots, production lines and even automated workshops are unhesitatingly described as "flexible", it is people who are flexible, i.e. capable of adapting to novel situations...