Abstract

CASE STUDIES ON LI & FUNG: HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN AS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR FACTORY PRODUCTION DATA ANALYSIS

Yunyao Gu*

ABSTRACT

This paper approaches the question of "how can we use technology in a responsible and sustainable way to better understand our process?" from the perspective of a factory manager, who cannot necessarily invest in sophisticated software and hardware systems that other industries have adopted to monitor quality. As a result, this paper focuses heavily on the user experience of both the operator (quality inspector) and the manager, as both need to be able to interact with the proposed data system easily and reliably. Besides, the paper will reflect the nuances associated with building and implementing factory data systems in low-tech factories where human interaction is the primary driver of system adoption. The design and deployment of this system was ultimately successful and resulted in a robust prototype that continues to provide Li & Fung with insights into how to achieve their ultimate goal of connecting their factory network to a centralized data platform.

Keywords: Human centered design; factory production; data; analysis; manufacturing.