Abstract
Implementation of optimization-based supply chain planning (SCP) systems has become a fad due to advances in information technology and modeling techniques as well as market pressures. Unfortunately, successful implementation in the industrial settings is rare. There is insufficient study on the usability of enterprise SCP (E-SCP) systems from the perspective of the human planners who use them. Thus, this thesis aims to extend the concept of usability and crystallize design-for-usability (DFU) principles or conceptual models for E-SCP systems. An explorative case study on a large-scale E-SCP project in the semiconductor manufacturing industry has been conducted in this research. Such kind of field research is appropriate because usability of computer systems should be evaluated in their specified context of use—i.e., the industrial settings. The architecture of planning systems under investigation and a framework composed of HTO-aspects (Human, Technological, and Organizational) are formulated to guide the data collection and analysis processes. The results are presented from three perspectives: (1) a reappraisal on APS (Advanced Planning and Scheduling) systems in the industrial settings, (2) an effective design-for-usability approach to guiding the implementation of E-SCP systems, and (3) a conceptual model of hierarchical human-computer collaboration for E-SCP systems. The findings of this research indicate that real-world production planning problems are ill-defined, complex and dynamic; besides, major pitfalls regarding the deployment of technology-dominant APS systems are revealed to be attributable to the real-world context, human factors and organizational aspects. A set of usability needs and coping strategies for planning systems are extracted from the practitioners, which results in an emergent usability framework in the form of ICOM (Input, Control, Output, and Mechanism) dimensions. The findings also reveal drawbacks of tech-driven approach as well as advantage of human-computer collaboration scheme in employing information technology and modeling techniques. Practical insights are obtained from this field research and, consequently, a conceptual model of hierarchical human-centered designs is proposed for E-SCP systems in dynamic and complex manufacturing environments.