is providing more technology for c4isr & security a good idea? bob chamberlain president
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Is Providing More Technology for C4ISR & Security a Good Idea? Bob Chamberlain President Monterey Technologies, Inc. (831) 648-3305 [email protected]. Situation Summary. “Soon we’ll be swimming in sensors and drowning in data” Brig. Gen. Robert P. "Bob" Otto - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Is Providing More Technology for C4ISR & Security a Good Idea?
Bob ChamberlainPresident
Monterey Technologies, Inc.(831) 648-3305
Situation Summary
“Soon we’ll be swimming in sensors and drowning in data”
Brig. Gen. Robert P. "Bob" Otto
Director of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Capabilities, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and
Reconnaissance
Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.
Why is this?
The current focus is on acquiring new hardware and software systems without any focus on understanding the users’ capabilities and limitations, and developing systems with a user-centered design approach that meets the users’ needs
Typical Systems Engineering Design Approach
• The system design is great if:– Meets all functional requirements– meets all physical & engineering requirements (e.g.
weight, cube, power, cooling, etc.)– meets the cost target– Meets the development schedule
But:
• The operator can’t figure out how to use it
Systems Engineering Program Manager’s typical approach
Implementing a user-centered design approach will only add to my project cost and schedule
Translation:• We know what we are doing• We know what our customers want• We can design the product to the specifications • Why waste time and money on human factors?
Result of a Systems Engineering Design Effort
Another systems engineering design result
Are these C4ISR operators swimming in sensors and drowning in data?
UAV Ground Station Design Project
Young people enlisting in the Army today come in with
2000 hours of “thumb time” (Playing video games)
Prime Contractor Product Development Manager
The ProblemThe Product Development team
did NOT understand their target user group, but
THOUGHT they did
System Design Rules to live by:
• You will not collect valid data by asking people what they think
• You will not solve the problem by purchasing technology, rather than understanding the user
One Approach to Technology Design
Do these system designers understand their user community?
Digital cameras typically have over 300 functions
What is your design approach?
How will the user perform with this design?
Engineering vs. User-Centered Design
•
The pilot must aviate, navigate, communicate, AND execute the mission!
The Problem:
The Engineering Team thinks this is a
good design!
How do we fix the problem?
• RFP’s must do a better job of addressing HFE & HSI issues
• Require Prime Contractors to actually execute the Human Engineering Plan• Write HFE &HSI requirements into the CDRL’s
•User community analysis•Functional requirements analysis•Task Analysis•Workload/workflow analysis•User-centered design prototypes•Usability testing
• Government HSI/HFE Experts must advocate with the RFP development group to include appropriate language and requirements in the RFP SOW
When it’s in the contract, the prime contractor will do it, when it’s not it DOESN’T GET DONE!
Questions?
