AI-Supported Shift Scheduling Prototype of a Human-Centered Approach

Optimal shift planning can provide many benefits for companies, such as employee satisfaction and higher productivity. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in shift planning has the potential to give particularly small and medium-sized companies a decisive competitive advantage. While various research results on the implementation of AI-based planning tools are already available, the individual satisfaction of employees is rarely considered. The focus of the presented paper is the development of an intelligent workforce planning system taking human-centered criteria into account. The approach includes the practical implementation of an AI-based application for shift planning in a medium-sized company in Germany. The development was carried out using a participatory approach together with the management, shift planners and affected employees. In future, the system, which was tested as a prototype for one shift, will be transferred to the entire shift system of the company. The approach provides indications of how human-centered shift planning can succeed in the manufacturing industry.