Future Challenges for Function Allocation

The process of function allocation forms a critical part of the design process when decisions are made that impact upon overall system design and the human operators' roles. DERA Centre for Human Sciences has been conducting research into function allocation for a number of years. The aim of this work has been: to optimise the distribution of functions between humans and equipment, and also between human operators; to maximise operational effectiveness; and to reduce potentially the number of operators required. This work has resulted in the development of a new method of function allocation labelled the ‘Socio-Technical Method for Designing Work Systems' (STMDWS). However, there remain a number of challenges for further research. This paper identifies the following five key challenges: provision of a meaningful role for the operators; describing the level of automation in the system; skill requirements of operators resulting from the allocation of functions and the organizational implications thereof; using the output from the allocation process to inform other system design activities; and the consequences of using Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products as elements of future military systems.