Meeting the Challenge: Factors in the Design and Acquisition of Human- Engineered Systems

The design of effective military systems requires consideration of the skills, capabilities and fundamental performance limitations of end-user personnel involved in operations and maintenance over the life of the system. This concept, culminating in MANPRINT, is an important coalescence of system human engineering philosophy and concerns that have been evolving since World War II. Achieving a satisfactory match between system capabilities and the performance characteristics of users presumes the availability of requisite knowledge and the means to act upon it in the course of system design. The major challenges to broad acceptance and implementation of this concept lie in the ability to ensure an adequate supply of: (1)Useful and Usable Data Resources. Applicable MANPRINT data are needed that can be traded off against equipment variables; (2) Effective Methods and Media. Reliable means are needed to support the retrieval and application of people-oriented resources in the context of system acquisition and design. Also needed are methodologies and metrics for the test and evaluation of “MANPRINTed” system designs; and (3) Sophisticated and Motivated Users. Designers, design management and system acquisition personnel must believe that consideration of MANPRINT factors is “valuable” to the design of effective systems. Designing for the inclusion of these elements vitally depends on influencing individual, organizational and regulatory variables that jointly influence and support the design and acquisition processes.

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