Flow model

Exploring the problem

Work models The flow model describes how an individual employee or group, for example a reception, works with other people and departments. This is consequently about forms of cooperation and physical or digital communication in the workplace.

The participants can only work with the flow model if representatives of the affected employees are present.

Steps 1. Place a large piece of paper (preferably A0) on a table or wall.

You can also use a whiteboard directly. 2. Ask the participants to draw an oval in the middle. An employee or a function with several employees engaged in the same work is placed in the oval. The employee’s most important work tasks are described in the oval. 3. Ask the participants to draw more ovals around the first one. Other employees with whom the employee in the middle oval collaborates and communicates are placed in these ovals. The direction of the communication flow is marked using arrows. 4. The artefacts that form part of the flow are illustrated by means of squares on the lines. These may be physical objects, emails, information on paper, and the like. 5. Direct oral communication is also marked with arrows, but without a square around them. 6. When the figure has been finished, the participants must identify where there is a problem that may contribute to the OHS problem in focus. This is marked with a red ‘bolt of lightning’.

The result of this exercise can be included in the overall exploration and demarcation of the OHS problem in the first diamond.

2-8

15 min.

Complexity

82

11 • Tools 3 : exPlorIng Problems

Tips You can make a summary of this activity by listing all the red ‘bolts of lightning’ that the participants have entered in the diagram.

Administration • Organization • Paying bills • Preparing work schedule Operations Manager • Coordination • Troubleshooting and repair • Setting deadlines

Pay, holiday, illness

Information

Information

Facts

Safety and work equipment

Status update

Medical device employee • Filling bottles • Counting • Quality assurance • Preparing bottles

Prepared bottles Bottles not prepared

Bulletin board • List of defects • Updated night shift Warehouse employee • Transporting bottles • Organizing the warehouse

Here is an example of a description of the flow in the work task of filling eye drops in bottles.

11 • Tools 3 : exPlorIng Problems

83