THE DEFINITION OF THE 21ST-CENTURY INDUSTRIAL OPERATOR
Published in GÉP 2026/3-4
https://doi.org/10.70750/GEP.2026.3-4.2
Dr. Jaskó Szilárd
egyetemi docens, Pannon Egyetem, Alkalmazott Informatikai Tanszék. Titkár, Gépipari Tudományos Egyesület, Operátor szakosztály
Dr. Ruppert Tamás
egyetemi docens, Pannon Egyetem, Rendszermérnöki Intézeti Tanszék. Elnök, Gépipari Tudományos Egyesület, Operátor szakosztály
ABSTRACT
Digitalization, automation, and the growing use of artificial intelligence are fundamentally transforming the role of industrial operators. Operators are no longer merely responsible for carrying out predefined physical tasks; they increasingly observe, interpret, and influence the state of production systems within clearly defined areas of responsibility. This study aims to reinterpret the concept of the operator in the context of twenty-first-century industry. To this end, representative operator roles and definitions from the literature are compared to identify the common functional elements of the concept, which are then extended with the requirements of Operator 4.0 and human-centric manufacturing. The proposed definition conceptualizes the industrial operator as a human actor embedded in a socio-technical production system who executes and supervises manufacturing activities in collaboration with machines, digital systems, automated technologies, AI-supported tools, and technical and organizational support functions. The definition emphasizes the importance of clearly specified decision-making, intervention, and escalation boundaries, as well as the operator’s contribution to efficient, safe, high-quality, sustainable, resilient, and human-centric industrial operations.
