Lessons from the Pandemic for a Better World of Work

RWTH Aachen University and its partners are conducting a study the effects of the coronavirus crisis on work practices and processes. The Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics IAW is looking for companies interested to participate in the study.

 

The coronavirus pandemic has brought about profound changes in society in a short period of time, including in the world of work. Many employees had to switch to remote working within a few days, company events had to be cancelled at short notice, arrangements had to be made for meetings to take place virtually, working time regulations had to be adapted, and work processes, supply chains and production output had to be rethought.

Companies in all industries and economic sectors are faced with the challenge of flexibly adapting their work structures to the current situation. Digitally advanced organizations have been better able to meet the new challenges than those that were suddenly forced to embark on a hasty digital transformation process due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, these developments also offer great potential for innovation. New working methods and technical aids have to be implemented and tested in the shortest possible time, resulting in change and learning processes. In order to systematically identify and leverage such learning processes in the long term, the BMBF has launched the research project "Good Solutions for the Future – COVID-19 Lessons Learned."

“Lessons Learned”: Companies Invited to Participate

As part of this project, the Institute of Industrial Engineering and Ergonomics IAW at RWTH Aachen University, headed by Professor Verena Nitsch, together with partners at the Technical University of Munich and TU Dresden, is conducting a systematic nationwide analysis of the effects of the crisis on practices and processes in companies.

The aim of the study is to identify particularly effective responses to the challenges at hand that can lead to long-term improvements in work processes and conditions even after the pandemic has been contained. The IAW is inviting companies to participate in the study.