Lean Six Sigma (LSS) aims to help companies continuous improvement (CI), coping with the strong business competition and gaining organizational effectiveness. Both Ergonomics and LSS are system-oriented approaches and could have a synergistic effect in CI. The integration of Ergonomics and LSS requires a new methodological framework that evolves from their single approaches, which coherently applies the principles of both and simultaneously ensuring gains in productivity and in working conditions. To help SME (99% of all businesses in EU) to realize their full potential a tool that supports the implementation of the mentioned framework is also desirable. A practical tool to fulfill this goal can assume the form of a Decision Support System (DSS). Therefore the objective of this paper is to present the model of a framework and of an associated DSS

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders associated with repetitive and strenuous working conditions continue to represent one of the biggest occupational problems in companies. Despite the variety of efforts to control them, including engineering design changes, organizational modifications and working methods training programs, work-related musculoskeletal disorders account for a huge amount of human suffering and economic costs to companies and to healthcare systems. This paper presents an ergonomic analysis tool, FAST ERGO_X, designed to support ergonomic auditing activities related with work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This tool can be used to analyze workplaces regarding potential ergonomic risk factors. The FAST ERGO_X is a fuzzy expert system designed to help the identification, assessment and control of the risk factors present in the work system, due to lack of adequate ergonomics. Based on objective and subjective data, the system evaluates the risk factors that can lead to the development of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, and presents the findings resulting from such evaluation. The system also presents recommendations to eliminate or at least reduce the risk factors present in the work situation under analysis.

Production facilities serve to transform raw materials into products, usually with the goal of achieving a designated output, in terms of quantity and quality, with the minimum of cost and labour. With the aid of production planning and controlling (PPC) systems, raw material inputs, and labour can be planned to achieve a determined output of products. In general, the role of environmental and social aspects is neglected in production planning processes. Because of the growing pressure from politics and customers, sustainable production of products is becoming more important. One possibility for supporting sustainable manufacturing is, to integrate sustainable aspects in the production planning process. This paper presents input and output information for current PPC systems and discusses the need for additional information necessary for sustainable PPC. For this approach, a text review of cooperate social responsibility (CSR) reporting indicators provided by the GRI was performed. Based on the text review, an input-output model has been developed for conventional and another one for sustainable PPC systems. Through the comparison of the two input-output models, challenges and requirements for sustainable PPC systems have been defined as a basis for future work and analyses.