Firm Strategy

Managers usually associate ergonomics with occupational health and safety, not with core business performance. Actually, there are key ways in which ergonomics analysis and strategy can contribute directly to company direction and business goals such as productivity and quality. In fact, the financial benefits from these are often much greater than gains from improved health alone. For these benefits to be realized, managers must understand that applying ergonomics is much more than just a health and safety matter. The HFE lab runs projects to demonstrate how managers can use ergonomics to achieve higher performance, while securing safer work conditions for employees.

Ergonomists must realize how good design supports good productivity, good quality, and good health. The Human Factors community needs to move from a health ergonomics paradigm to a business ergonomics paradigm - without of course sacrificing the health and safety side of the discipline.