This thesis explores the persistent misalignment between formal managerial processes and actual operational practices within shipyard production environments. The central aim is to investigate how a socio-technical approach can enhance the alignment of work systems in shipbuilding, ultimately improving operational effectiveness and productivity. To achieve this, the study applies the functional resonance analysis method (FRAM), enriched with an abstraction hierarchy, to systematically compare work as imagined (WAI) with work as done (WAD) in a case study for an abstracted major European shipyard.
The research is grounded in the observation that the shipbuilding industry is facing significant challenges due to market volatility, technological complexity, labor shortages, and an increasing dependence on subcontractors. Shipyards operate under engineering-to-order (ETO) conditions, characterized by concurrent engineering (CE), bespoke vessels, and high variability. These factors result in a dynamic environment in which formalized processes frequently fall short of capturing the real work performed on the production floor.
A core finding of this study is the clash between top-down control mechanisms and bottom-up operational flexibility. While managerial systems aim for standardization, traceability, and efficiency through techno-centric tools like enterprise resource planning systems (ERP) and manufacturing execution systems (MES), the reality is that production relies heavily on tacit knowledge, informal coordination, and ad hoc decision-making. This misalignment contributes to inefficiencies such as rework, delayed feedback, and ineffective implementation of innovations.
The methodological contribution of the thesis is the development of a novel framework that uses FRAM in combination with an abstraction hierarchy to model and analyze WAI and WAD. Through detailed data collection, formal process documents for WAI and field observations combined with informal interviews for WAD, the method enables multi-level analysis of work functions, their interdependencies, and emergent variability. The comparative analysis reveals that WAD involves more functions and connections, including multiple feedback loops, absent in the WAI, indicating a richer and more adaptive operational reality.
Two specific discrepancies exemplify the misalignment: the absence of explicit operational management functions and proactive material expediting from WAI. Their omission implies that critical functions are informally performed yet formally unrecognized, leading to a lack of support in digital systems and inadequate performance monitoring.
This thesis offers actionable recommendations for both shipyards and software providers like Floorganise. For shipyards, these include formalizing operational management roles, adopting socio-technical frameworks such as the plan-do-check-act (PDCA) cycle and Hale’s rule management model, and improving knowledge transfer through the socialization, externalization, combination, internalization (SECI) model. For Floorganise, the research recommends tailoring tooling to reflect WAD, supporting adaptive planning practices, and expanding consultancy services to help clients integrate socio-technical considerations.
In conclusion, the study demonstrates that sustainable productivity improvements in shipbuilding require bridging the gap between WAI and WAD. By adopting a socio-technical lens and systematically modeling operational realities, shipyards can better align managerial intentions with shop floor execution. The proposed method and findings extend the application of FRAM beyond safety domains into general industrial operations, offering a replicable approach for tackling similar challenges in other complex production settings.