Workplace design in Indonesian manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises: Review and further research

Workplace design is an essential process for the manufacturing industry to realize a low manufacturing cost with high productivity and competitive advantage, as well as high employee performance and well-being. Although research on workplace design in the Indonesian manufacturing industry began more than 20 years ago, workplace conditions in the manufacturing industry, especially in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia, have remained subpar, with high material handling costs. This review article aims to evaluate recent research on workplace design in the Indonesian manufacturing SMEs and explore possible directions for further research. The results of this review indicate that the research on workplace design in Indonesian manufacturing SMEs is mostly focused on the department area (micro-level), using systematic layout planning methods to improve material handling activities. Even though environmental conditions are unfavorable with low levels of occupational safety and health, research that consider these two in the process of designing workplace in Indonesian manufacturing SMEs is still limited. This review also shows the possibility of developing an integrated workplace design by involving environmental ergonomics and occupational safety and health in manufacturing SMEs.