Correctly setting up your Departments and Job Tasks is one of the most important steps in getting started with ErgoPlus. A clear structure ensures accurate ergonomic assessments, cleaner reporting, and smoother onboarding for your whole team.
This guide explains how to set up your site in a way that matches real-world manufacturing and warehouse environments.
Why This Matters
ErgoPlus assessments (360 Assessment, QEC, WISHA, NIOSH, Snook Tables, RULA, REBA) evaluate work, not job titles or employees.
That means ErgoPlus needs to understand how work is organized at your facility:
Departments group related work areas
Job Tasks represent the actual work that will be assessed
Sub-tasks & actions flow from each job task and are used during assessment
A clean structure makes your assessments more accurate and your reports more meaningful.
1. Key Terms to Know
Job Title (HR role — not used for assessments)
A job title describes a position in HR terms and is usually too broad for ergonomic evaluation.
Examples: Machine Operator, Warehouse Worker, Assembler.
Department (Functional work area)
A department is a physical or functional area where related work happens.
Common departments include:
Production
Quality Control
General Assembly
Maintenance
Shipping & Receiving
Think: “Where is this work being done?”
Job Task (Assessable unit of work)
A job task is the complete set of related work activities an employee performs. This is the first level at which ErgoPlus evaluates risk.
Examples:
Operating Machine
Assembling Products
Inspecting Final Goods
Order Picking
Trailer Unload
Packing & Labeling
Think: “What is the workflow the employee performs?”
Sub-task (Steps inside a job task)
A sub-task is a smaller step that contributes to completing a job task.
Examples: Load part into machine, inspect part, build box, wrap pallet.
You don’t need to enter sub-tasks during the Site Survey—they appear later during assessments.
2. How to Structure Your Site
Follow these simple steps to create a clean, accurate site structure during your Site Survey.
Step 1: Add Your Departments
Departments should represent functional areas in your facility.
Ask yourself:
Does this area have its own purpose or workflow?
Would new employees or supervisors recognize it as a department?
Most worksites end up with 5–10 departments, although this will be dependent on your specific site.
Step 2: Add Job Tasks Within Each Department
Job tasks represent the actual work employees perform.
Ask:
Does this activity have a clear workflow or work instruction?
Does it include multiple steps (sub-tasks)?
Would evaluating this workflow tell me something useful about ergonomic risk?
3. Practical Examples
Machine Shop Example
Department: Auto Machining
Job Task: Operating Machine
Sub-tasks include: Load part → Cycle machine → Unload part → Inspect part → Place in bin
General Assembly Example
Department: General Assembly
Job Task: Assembling Widgets
Job Task: Wiring Widgets
Each task contains multiple sub-tasks such as deburring, applying adhesive, cutting wire, inserting wire, etc.
Warehouse Example
Department: Receiving
Job Task: Trailer Unload
Department: Shipping
Job Task: Order Picking
Job Task: Packout / Palletizing
4. Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Using job titles as job tasks
Job titles are too broad. Convert them into workflows.
❌ Making departments too big or too granular
A department should represent a functional area, not the entire site or a single workstation.
❌ Turning small movements into job tasks
Actions (lifting, pushing, etc.) belong inside sub-tasks, not as standalone job tasks.
❌ Combining unrelated workflows
If two workflows are meaningfully different, create two job tasks.
5. Quick Rules of Thumb
Departments = where work happens
Job Tasks = what will be assessed with the 360 Assessment
Sub-tasks = steps in a workflow that will be assessed with granular tools like REBA and the NIOSH Lifting Equation
6. Final Checklist Before You Begin Assessments
Departments
Represent functional work areas
Contain multiple workstations or roles
Have clear operational boundaries
Job Tasks
Represent complete workflows
Usually have multiple steps or sub-tasks
Match how work is actually performed
Are assessable with tools like 360 or Quick Exposure Check (QEC)
If your departments and job tasks meet these criteria, you’re ready to begin assessing ergonomic risk.
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By creating a clear structure for your environment's departments and job tasks you'll ensure that ergonomic assessments are easier to manage and more accurately aligned with your real-world conditions. This groundwork allows you to fully leverage the platform’s features, from ergonomic risk evaluations to improvement tracking.
Once your survey is complete, you’ll be ready to dive deeper into the application. If you need further assistance or have any questions, don’t hesitate to explore our other resources or reach out to our support team.