Transferring Tacit Knowldge in Process Control

Experienced operators, who have worked in process industry for many years possess extensive tacit knowledge regarding how to operate and control the plant. The purpose of this study was to propose methods for knowledge transfer regarding process control. Four conditions are important for successful knowledge transfer: resources from the management, access to a control room environment, access to saved process data from incidents and disturbances, and motivated experienced operators with verbal skills. Methods recommended for catching tacit knowledge regarding process control are observations in the control room, operators using the think-aloud methodology during work, and expert operators creating and analyzing scenarios of disturbances. Methods for transfer tacit knowledge are scenario analysis of disturbances in focus groups, or role-play between experienced and novice operator. Also informal and spontaneous methods for knowledge transfer can be successful

Optimising aircraft taxi speed: Design and evaluation of new means to present information on a head-up display

The objective of this study was to design and evaluate new means of complying to time constraints by presenting aircraft target taxi speeds on a head-up display (HUD). Four different HUD presentations were iteratively developed from paper sketches into digital prototypes. Each HUD presentation reflected different levels of information presentation. A subsequent evaluation included 32 pilots, with varying flight experience, in usability tests. The participants subjectively assessed which information was most useful to comply with time constraints. The assessment was based on six themes including information, workload, situational awareness, stress, support and usability. The evaluation consisted of computer-simulated taxi-runs, self-assessments and statistical analysis. Information provided by a graphical vertical tape descriptive/predictive HUD presentation, including alpha-numerical information redundancy, was rated most useful. Differences between novice and expert pilots can be resolved by incorporating combinations of graphics and alpha-numeric presentations. The findings can be applied for further studies of combining navigational and time-keeping HUD support during taxi

Crisis Information Design with a Human Factors/Ergonomics Perspective

The focus of the workshop will be on tools and methods for crisis information design from a human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) perspective. The main steps of the workshop are as follows: (1) the session starts with an introduction to HF/E design for crisis, and reflection on an ongoing research project on active participation of citizens in crisis management; (2) an ideation activity by HF/E specialists around the role of HF/E in crisis management; (3) exploration of a range of existing HF/E tools, methods and approaches, and matching them to a number of critical scenarios before, during, and after crisis. (4) reflection on possible adaptation of HE/F tools for crisis information design. The result of the workshop is an elaboration on how existing HF/E tools, methods and approaches can contribute to information design for crisis. Also, how these can show possible gaps, or needs, for adaptation in HF/E tools, methods, and approaches within the context of crisis information design

Considering the Importance of User Profiles in Interface Design

User profile is a popular term widely employed during product design processes by industrial companies. Such a profile is normally intended to represent real users of a product. The ultimate purpose of a user profile is actually to help designers to recognize or learn about the real user by presenting them with a description of a real user’s attributes, for instance; the user’s gender, age, educational level, attitude, technical needs and skill level. The aim of this chapter is to provide information on the current knowledge and research about user profile issues, as well as to emphasize the importance of considering these issues in interface design. In this chapter, we mainly focus on how users’ difference in expertise affects their performance or activity in various interaction contexts. Considering the complex interaction situations in practice, novice and expert users’ interactions with medical user interfaces of different technical complexity will be analyzed as examples: one focuses on novice and expert users’ difference when interacting with simple medical interfaces, and the other focuses on differences when interacting with complex medical interfaces. Four issues will be analyzed and discussed: (1) how novice and expert users differ in terms of performance during the interaction; (2) how novice and expert users differ in the perspective of cognitive mental models during the interaction; (3) how novice and expert users should be defined in practice; and (4) what are the main differences between novice and expert users’ implications for interface design. Besides describing the effect of users’ expertise difference during the interface design process, we will also pinpoint some potential problems for the research on interface design, as well as some future challenges that academic researchers and industrial engineers should face in practice

Appropriation of an Activity-based Flexible Office in daily work

In recent years, there has been growing interest in collaborative consumption of office environments and thereby implementation of Activity-based Flexible Offices (A-FOs). Relocating to an A-FO introduces a desk-sharing policy as well as a multitude of new workspaces with different speech policies into the employee’s work context. This paper describes how employees appropriate desk-sharing and speech policies in an A-FO. The data were collected over a period of 6 months in a case organization by means of 18 shadowing sessions. The different ways in which employees appropriated the A-FO solution were (i) adopting, experimenting with, or rejecting the desk-sharing policy, and (ii) modes of interaction arising from spatial configuration and redefining speech policies. The discussion outlines the reasons behind appropriation or nonappropriation of the desk-sharing and emergent speech policies. The insights from this study provide support for organizations considering A-FOs to develop strategies for facilitating individuals’ work in these settings

Enhanced Cognitive Walkthrough: Development of the Cognitive Walkthrough Method to Better Predict, Identify, and Present Usability Problems

To avoid use errors when handling medical equipment, it is important to develop products with a high degree of usability. This can be achieved by performing usability evaluations in the product development process to detect and mitigate potential usability problems. A commonly used method is cognitive walkthrough (CW), but this method shows three weaknesses: poor high-level perspective, insufficient categorisation of detected usability problems, and difficulties in overviewing the analytical results. This paper presents a further development of CW with the aim of overcoming its weaknesses. The new method is called enhanced cognitive walkthrough (ECW). ECW is a proactive analytical method for analysis of potential usability problems. The ECW method has been employed to evaluate user interface designs of medical equipment such as home-care ventilators, infusion pumps, dialysis machines, and insulin pumps. The method has proved capable of identifying several potential use problems in designs

Appropriation of an Activity-based Flexible Office in daily work

In recent years, there has been growing interest in collaborative consumption of office environments and thereby implementation of Activity-based Flexible Offices (A-FOs). Relocating to an A-FO introduces a desk-sharing policy as well as a multitude of new workspaces with different speech policies into the employee’s work context. This paper describes how employees appropriate desk-sharing and speech policies in an A-FO. The data were collected over a period of 6 months in a case organization by means of 18 shadowing sessions. The different ways in which employees appropriated the A-FO solution were (i) adopting, experimenting with, or rejecting the desk-sharing policy, and (ii) modes of interaction arising from spatial configuration and redefining speech policies. The discussion outlines the reasons behind appropriation or nonappropriation of the desk-sharing and emergent speech policies. The insights from this study provide support for organizations considering A-FOs to develop strategies for facilitating individuals’ work in these settings

Improving design processes in the nuclear domain–Insights on organisational challenges from safety culture and resilience engineering perspectives

Design flaws have been contributing to major industrial accidents. However, design activities are understudied in human and organisational factors studies. In the nuclear power domain, both pre-operational design and design of modifications depend on a network of organizations, and aim at developing solutions which meet different criteria. Nuclear power companies often outsource the design work to organisations, which might not be hitherto familiar with the safety requirements of nuclear industry. The final phase of SADE project focused on testing and evaluating the results of the first two phases through in depth analysis of case studies conducted in Finland and Sweden. The study aimed at providing insights on the inter-organizational challenges related to design activities, which could potentially affect safety of the Nordic nuclear power plants. In 2013 we carried out 14 semi-structured interviews with representatives of power plant organisations, design organisations and regulators. Interviews of the Finnish case studies were complemented by one group interview each. The study indicated that design-related challenges in the nuclear domain are mainly inter-organizational. This implies that safety management and safety culture approaches should take better into account the inter-organisational nature of work processes. For some of the challenges (e.g. coordination) many coping practices exist throughout the network, whereas for others (e.g. shared understanding) just a few were mentioned. This signifies that design organisations have learned the consequences of insufficient coordination in previous projects, while reaching a shared understanding proves to be challenging. The design process involves both rational and creative approaches to deal with real-life problems. In nuclear industry, designers face the need to balance between fulfilling requirements and doing an extensive amount of paperwork, and creating new, safe and functional solutions. To better manage safety culture in design activities in a networked context, nuclear power companies and design supply chains need to reach a shared understanding on achieving this balance. Finally, the study provides a set of recommendations to support and improve the design process and to help anticipate emerging risks in the nuclear industry

Static and Dynamic Load Response of the Lumbar Spine in Flexion

The aims of this study were to develop experimental methods for static and dynamic loading of spinal segments in vitro that would simulate flexion-distraction injuries (lap seat-belt injuries) and increase knowledge about the biomechanical response and the mechanisms of injury of the lumbar spine under static and dynamic (transient) loads in flexion. The experiments were carried out on the lumbar functional spinal unit (FSU) consisting of two adjacent vertebrae, the intervertebral disc and all intervening ligaments. The results will be used for the development of future preventive measures and as input data to establish injury criteria for the lumbar spine. The ultimate strength of the lumbar spine during static flexion-shear loading was determined on 16 lumbar FSUs by means of a new method of applying static combined loads. The specimens could resist a mean (S.D.) bending moment of 156 (11) Nm combined with a mean (S.D.) shear force of 620 (53) N before complete disruption occurred. The mean (S.D.) tensile force acting on the posterior structures was 2.8 (0.2) kN. The flexion angulation just before failure was 20o and the anterior horizontal displacement was 9 mm. The bone mineral content in the vertebrae appeared to be a reliable predictor of the ultimate flexural strength of the lumbar FSU. The threshold values for the loads and the deformations during static flexion-shear loading was determined on 10 lumbar FSUs. Before the first sign of a permanent deformation of the osteo-ligamentous components, the specimens could resist a mean (S.D.) maximum bending moment of 121 (10) Nm combined with a mean (S.D.) maximum shear force of 486 (38) N. The flexion angulation was 16o and the anterior horizontal displacement 7 mm. The absorbed energy at the initiation of trauma was 10 J. The threshold for injury occurred at about 80% of the ultimate flexural strength of the lumbar FSU. The bone mineral content in the vertebrae appeared to be a reliable predictor of the structural properties of the specimen at the threshold of flexion-distraction injury. The biomechanical responses of 48 lumbar FSUs exposed to loads similar to those in frontal car accidents were determined by means of a new method of applying dynamic (transient) flexion-shear loads. The peak values of the applied load pulses varied between 5-12 g, with a rise time between 5-30 ms and a duration between 150-250 ms. The specimens could withstand loads up to 225 Nm and 720 N in flexion before obvious fractures occurred. The tensile force affecting the posterior structures were 3-5 kN. The results showed that the magnitude of the applied load pulse and the loading rate determined the degree and severity of spinal injury. The duration of the load pulse did not affect the load and injury response. The specimens could withstand higher loads and absorb more energy when the loading rate was increased, but the deformations at injury were smaller when the loading rate was high. The biological parameters bone mineral content, anterior-posterior length and height of the specimen showed high correlations with the dynamic load response of the lumbar FSU. The methods developed for static and dynamic loading of spine segments showed good repeatability, were easy to handle and had high flexibility. Load response and deformations of the specimens could be measured with high accuracy. The different results obtained for lumbar spine response to static and dynamic flexion-shear loading showed that the specimens could withstand higher loads and absorb more energy before injury occurred during dynamic loading, but the deformations were smaller. There is thus an indication of viscoelastic behaviour in the specimens. The results of this study indicate that dynamic experiments must be performed when injury mechanisms which occur in real life accidents are to be studied