The system reliability analyser tool

This paper describes the design and evaluation of a socio-technical design support system, the system reliability analyser (SRA). The tool is used to validate non-functional system requirements, such as system reliability. It employs a Bayesian belief network (BBN) model to assess system reliability (Pearl in Probabilistic reasoning in intelligent systems: networks of plausible information, 1988) based on a variety of high-level operational scenarios. The tool diagnoses problematic areas in future system models and assists in the identification of their causes. The evaluation of the tool demonstrated that it supported the task it was intended to do. The evaluation also identified usability problems in the current visualisations and illustrated their resolution.

Assessing the reliability of socio-technical systems

This article presents a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN) approach for socio-technical system reliability assessment. A human error BBN model quantifies error influences arising from user knowledge, ability, and task environment, combined with factors describing the complexity of user action and user interface quality. System reliability evaluation is achieved by the System Reliability Analyser tool, which enables the iterative manipulation of the human error model according to high-level scenarios

Diagnosing reliability problems in Socio-technical Systems: A Visualisation approach

This paper presents a visualisation approach of socio-technical system design evaluation based on human reliability. Bayesian Belief networks are used to assess human error and system failure (Sutcliffe et al. 1999) based on a variety of high-level operational scenarios. The System Reliability Analyser tool automates the process by iteratively manipulating the BBN model, presenting the analyst with a three-level visualisation of the results to diagnose the locus of reliability problems. A case study is presented on the evaluation of two alternative designs of the command and control room of an offshore patrol vessel