A Proposal for the Evaluation of Craftsmanship in Industry

In manufacturing enterprises many operations need craftsman skills even when the production is industrial. The value of a product can increase when manual work is performed to enhance the quality and uniqueness of a non-standardized commodity. The fabrication of some products can be so complex that full automation is not technically possible or economically viable, and only skilled, well-trained and experienced workers can effectively realize the process. The aim of this paper is to propose a method for the evaluation of the contribution of craftsmanship in the industrial environment. For this purpose, research has been carried out in an Italian district of luxury leather production. A “craftsmanship index” has been defined in order to assign a concrete value to the artisanal competences. This index can be useful in understanding how to hone and develop this kind of skills, which can be of significant competitive advantage to manufacturing enterprises.