Socio-technical Qualification Modules for the Empowerment of Logistics Employees in the Technological Transition

Industry 4.0 is bringing about fundamental changes in logistics processes because of new technologies. This includes the role of logistics employees, their tasks and necessary skills, and requires that they be comprehensively qualified. For the derivation of qualification requirements in operational and dispositive logistics, existing research lacks methodological support that sufficiently considers process, technology, and competency. Therefore, the aim of this work is to develop a method for the derivation of socio-technical qualification modules. The design of the generic solution is based on literature as well as workshops and expert interviews within industry. Application and evaluation was carried out in the logistics department of a commercial vehicle manufacturer. The four-step method provides specific qualification modules per employee profile, which consist of modular content for fundamentals, technologies, and methods. The modules can then be used to empower logistics employees for medium and long-term technology transformation.