Human Systems Integration Research Articles

Implementation of Human Systems Integration technical and management process for the lunar Gateway Program

NASA recognizes Human Systems Integration (HSI) as part of the overall systems engineering and acquisition strategy for space systems. The Lunar Gateway Program is implementing HSI technical and management process across the lifecycle of the mission, as required by NPR 7123.1C NASA Systems Engineering Processes and Requirements, and led by the Gateway HSI team as required by NPR 8705.2C Human-Rating Requirements for Space Systems, now HEOMD-003 Crewed Deep Space Systems Human Rating Certification Requirements and Standards for NASA Missions. NASA has been using HSI principles for many years and has applied them to many of its previous human spaceflight Programs. As NASA returns to the Moon in a more sustainable manner, the Gateway Program is maturing the application of HSI by implementing it more visibly as part of Artemis, with guidance from the NASA/SP-20210010952 NASA HSI Handbook. This paper discusses how HSI is being implemented in the Gateway Program, challenges faced with its implementation during the development phase, and strategies/approaches used to overcome those. The paper also covers HSI implementation for flight systems, vehicle processing, and interfaces across the six identified NASA HSI domains: human factors engineering, operations, safety, training, maintainability and supportability, habitability and environment. The goal is to provide an overview of the implementation process of HSI in the Gateway Program as an example for other Programs/Projects/Missions that are looking to implement HSI.

Human Systems Integration: A Review of Concepts, Applications, Challenges, and Benefits

This paper provides a review of the concepts, applications, and challenges of Human Systems Integration (HSI). HSI is a multidisciplinary field that aims to optimize the performance of human-machine systems by considering the characteristics and capabilities of both human operators and technological systems. The review begins with a discussion of the fundamental concepts of HSI, including human factors engineering, human-computer interaction, and cognitive engineering. It then examines the application of HSI in specific domains such as aviation, transportation, and medicine. The paper concludes by discussing the challenges and future directions of HSI research. The paper highlights the importance of considering the cognitive and affective aspects of human operators in the design of systems and the challenges related to the integration of multiple systems and the consideration of social and organizational factors. Keywords: Human Systems Integration, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Transportation, Benefits, Challenges. DOI: 10.7176/JESD/14-4-04 Publication date: February 28 th 2023

Addressing Human and Organizational Factors in Nuclear Industry Modernization: A Sociotechnically Based Strategic Framework

The modernization of nuclear power plants will require an advanced concept of operations, involving an integrated set of tightly coupled systems in which all stakeholders act in a coordinated manner. For this modernization effort to be enabled, we developed a human and organizational factors approach based on a broad sociotechnical framework. Starting from core human factors principles, we conducted a literature review of the methods and approaches relevant to the modernization problem. These included not only core disciplines such as cognitive systems engineering, systems theoretic accident modeling and processes, human systems integration, resilience engineering, and macroergonomics but also related topics of safety culture and organizational change. From this literature, we developed a conceptual framework centered around the work system with its four interacting components: people, technology, process, and governance. In an effective work system, these four components are jointly optimized according to three systems criteria: efficiency, effectiveness, and safety. System failure may result from excessive emphasis on any one criterion. The actual work of attaining joint optimization in a given work system can be accomplished by utilizing three high-level functions: knowledge elicitation, knowledge representation, and cross-functional integration. We illustrated the utility of this approach by applying it to practical problems and case studies.

Human System Integration Framework (HSIF) Activities to Support Human Readiness Levels (HRLs)

The Human Readiness Level (HRL) provides a scale to evaluate a system’s readiness for human use. While the HFES/ANSI-400 Standard defines the HRLs, it does not identify a process to generate the data for the HRL determination. It relies on an organization’s policies already in place to support the HRL assessment; however, many organizations do not have a formal Human System Integration (HSI) process. This paper provides practitioners an example of the appropriate data that can be used to address the criteria at each HRL level, based on a mapping of the HRLs to the Human System Integration Framework (HSIF).

Nurses in a SNAP: Increasing Self-Confidence for Competent Nursing Practice through a Student Nurse Employment Model

Background Although self-confidence is strongly correlated with safe patient care, there is limited research about self-confidence perceptions among new graduate nurses upon entry into licensed practice. This study evaluated the effect of the Student Nurse Apprenticeship Program’s (SNAP) three-tiered employment model on new graduate registered nurse (RN) self-confidence and the organization’s subsequent return on investment. Objective Evaluate the effect of a pre-licensure, student nurse employment model on licensed nurses in three areas: perceived self-confidence related to patient safety, new graduate nurse orientation length, and organizational RN retention. Method A quasi-experimental, nonequivalent control group posttest study was conducted at Norton Healthcare (NHC) with SNAP Cohort One. Graduate RNs who completed SNAP and a control group of non-SNAP new graduate RNs took the Health Professional Education in Patient Safety Survey tool prior to starting NHC new graduate nurse orientation. During SNAP application, applicants completed the Human Systems Integration tool which aids in assessment of the relationship between the individual and the role’s responsibilities. Results In SNAP Cohort One, statistically significant (p < 0.05) increases in perceived self-confidence related to patient safety were found in SNAP graduates. Organizational retention was captured at 90% from SNAP to NHC RN, a 94% one-year RN retention, and a 96% two-year RN retention. The mean new graduate RN orientation length for SNAP graduates decreased three weeks. Total organizational cost avoidance of $8.5 million was shown in decreased orientation time and first year RN retention. Conclusions This study shows that the new graduate RNs completing SNAP had higher perceived self-confidence related to patient safety compared to new graduate RNs who did not complete SNAP. With the success of SNAP Cohort One, in conjunction with the strong return on NHC’s financial investment and creation of a workforce pipeline, NHC continued the program. After five successful cohorts and 696 student nurses, SNAP graduates avoided the organization over $33 million in first year RN turnover costs. SNAP graduate to NHC RN retention remained at 90%, with first year RN retention at 92%, and second year RN retention at 84%. The mean decrease in orientation time for all five cohorts remained between two and three weeks.

Social Holonic control architecture: A comparative study through tangibility and complexity prisms

Evolutions of consumption habits have push markets’ competitiveness and have led industrial systems to grow in size & complexity to subsist. To support the development of these industrial complex-adaptable systems, research has focused for the last decades on the development of control architectures, in which Human-System Integration has become a major issue. In this context, this work is proposing an instantiation of a human-inspired social holarchy upon different Product-Driven control modes. The purpose of this experiment is to test the social holarchy's ability to visualize and understand the control-based agents interactions leading to a first approach for complexity assessment. The hypothesis in this work is that enhancing the tangibility of complex systems could foster a better human-system acceptability.

The future of manufacturing: Utopia or dystopia?

AbstractDigital manufacturing technologies (DMTs) have the potential to transform industry productivity, but their introduction into the workplace is often a complex process, requiring not only technical expertise but also an awareness of ethical and societal challenges surrounding human–system integration. Concerns about the introduction of new technology have been prevalent throughout history, and exploring public perceptions of these technologies can provide insight to help address such cultural anxieties. However, evaluating user perceptions of futuristic technology is difficult, requiring novel approaches to provide context and understanding. To explore users' perceptions of future DMTs, we applied the ContraVision technique in a questionnaire‐based study. Participants viewed films, representing fictionalized utopic and dystopic visions of what the future of these DMTs might involve, and a questionnaire probed the perceptions of the technologies afterward. Findings showed that irrespective of the way technology was portrayed, participants had concerns about the ethical and responsible implementation of these tools. Participant responses were analyzed to identify key challenges for policy surrounding DMT implementation in the future of manufacturing.

The machine as a partner: Human-machine teaming design using the PRODEC method.

Human-machine teaming (HMT) typically combines perspectives from systems engineering, artificial intelligence (AI) and human-centered design (HCD), to achieve human systems integration (HSI) through the development of an integrative systems representation that encapsulates human and machine attributes and properties. The study explores the main factors contributing to performance, trust and collaboration between expert human operators and increasingly autonomous machines, by developing and using the PRODEC method. PRODEC supports HSI by improving the agile HCD of advanced sociotechnical systems at work, which qualify as human-machine teamwork. PRODEC incorporates scenario-based design and human-in-the-loop simulation at design and development time of a sociotechnical system. It is associated with the concept of digital twin. A systemic representation was developed and used, associated with metrics for the evaluation of human-machine teams. The study is essentially methodological. In practice, PRODEC has been used and validated in the MOHICAN project that dealt with the integration of pilots and virtual assistants onboard advanced fighter aircraft. It enabled the development of appropriate metrics and criteria of performance, trust, collaboration, and tangibility (i.e., issues of complexity, maturity, flexibility, stability, and sustainability), which were associated with the identification of emergent functions that help redesign and recalibrate the air combat virtual assistant as well as fighter pilot training. PRODEC addresses the crucial issue of how AI systems could and should influence requirements and design of sociotechnical systems that support human work, particularly in contexts of high uncertainty. However, PRODEC is still work in progress and advanced visualization techniques and tools are needed to increase physical and figurative tangibility.

Human Factors at the Speed of Relevance for Agile Engineering

Traditional Human System Integration (HSI) processes are at risk of being eliminated in the development process given the high velocity and continuous delivery methods of Agile and DevOps engineering. New processes and tools are needed to enable human factors practitioners to promote usable and effective products for users. This paper describes tools and approaches developed to synchronize HF and UX product design with quick-turn feature development in the DevOps environment. The process involved rapid user research survey and design validation usability testing tools for gathering feedback from users quickly enough to support DevOps and Agile timelines. The tools and processes afforded objective data to validate design decisions prior to agile development, which had become informal and based upon subjective judgement rather than empirical evidence to keep pace with the development velocity. The tools developed worked remotely to increase the ability to access users and decrease the logistics effort associated with gathering participants. This paper addresses a case study that successfully addressed the challenges for HF and UX practioners in our role of developing designs using agile and DevOps environment to improve the quality of the design proving relevancy.

The National Academies Board on Human-Systems Integration (BOHSI) Panel: Human-AI Teaming: Research Frontiers

The National Academies recently issued a consensus study report summarizing the state of the art and research needs relating to Human-AI teaming, especially in the context of dynamic, high-risk environments such as multi-domain military operations. This consensus study was conducted by the National Academies Board on Human-Systems Integration (BOHSI). This panel, organized by BOHSI, brings together prominent researchers, including several members of the consensus committee, to discuss the state of the art and research frontiers for development of effective human-AI teams that can operate resiliently in complex, data intensive, and dynamically paced environments.

“Don't drop the patient:” Health information in a postpandemic world

Building on technological advances and existing currents of a healthcare system in flux, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought about perhaps the most rapid transformation in human health and healthcare seen in our times. Even as new opportunities such as telemedicine, remote care, and rapid precision health practices are poised to improve access and care for populations, the increasing sophistication of this transformation has brought with it new levels of complexity, fragmentation, and silos. The singular outcome of this system is the vast number of novel ways for miscommunication, loss of information in transition, and breakdowns in the cognitive continuity of care. We refer to these failure modes as “dropping the patient” and adopt a mantra of “don't drop the patient” which examines our emerging health system in the context of patient-centered continuity. In this light, we investigate bright spots and pitfalls, and we offer insights from Human Factors Engineering, Human Centered Design, and Human System Integration, which provide tools and methods to codesign and codevelop continuous and resilient services that are inclusive, sustainable, and effective.

Multi-dimensional readiness assessment of medical devices

Medical device (MD) developers currently use the Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) to determine the status of technology. However, the broad definition of each level makes it difficult to ascertain readiness of MDs. The TRL is also indifferent to the strict regulatory requirements for MDs, requirements for human systems integration, and market competition. This paper proposes a technology readiness framework for communicating and planning the development of Class III MDs called the Medical Device Readiness Levels (MDRLs). Five exit criteria were staged in a meaningful sequence within the framework: safety, clinical effectiveness, usability, comfort, and affective response. It also incorporates the stakeholders’ perspectives, mindful of the users’ varying needs in manipulating the MD. The usefulness of the framework was affirmed by professionals involved in MD development.

Mobile Health Application for Seizure Management: A Human-Systems Integration Approach.

The study aims to develop a mHealth application for seizure management based on the human system integration (HSI) approach. Unmet healthcare needs among people with epilepsy continue to exist despite the advancement in healthcare technology. Current seizure management methods are found to be ineffective. Therefore, a more efficient strategy such as mHealth technology is necessary to aid seizure management. The needs identification phase involved identifying the user requirements by interviewing 10 stakeholders and conducting thematic analysis and needs interpretation technique. In the solution identification phase, the system requirements were derived using various human-centered design and systems engineering approaches and were evaluated through quality function deployment to determine design targets. For the design and evaluation phase, the design targets were reflected in the app through the iterative prototyping process, and the interface and functional design were evaluated by seven human factors and ergonomics experts and four stakeholders, respectively. Three primary needs and ten user requirements were derived from the needs identification phase. Ten out of fifteen system requirements were selected as design targets to be included in the final prototype. Results of the evaluation showed that the interface design of the proposed app showed superior usability compared to a competitor app and that the app functions were beneficial for the stakeholders. The mHealth app designed through the HSI framework showed good potential in addressing the main issues in seizure management. The mHealth app design methodology based on the HSI approach can be applied to the design of small-scale systems in various domains.

Exploring the Synergies between Social Systems and Human Systems Integration

INCOSE International SymposiumVolume 32, Issue S1 p. 140-140 Submission for a Panel at INCOSE HSI 2021 Exploring the Synergies between Social Systems and Human Systems Integration First published: 03 February 2022 https://doi.org/10.1002/iis2.12878Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume32, IssueS1Supplement: INCOSE Human Systems Integration Conference, November 16–19, 2021, Virtual EventFebruary 2022Pages 140-140 RelatedInformation

The Influence of HFES on Human Systems Integration

The Influence of HFES on Human Systems Integration

Risk‐taking in human activity: What can be organised to prevent it, and what can we do during design?

AbstractRisks at various levels are omnipresent in our daily life, especially at work. Risk‐taking is introduced as a necessity in many situations where procedural knowledge cannot be applied or is incomplete, and where problem‐solving may lead to taking actions presenting risks. In engineering design and systems engineering, uncertainty is always present at any point in time. If uncertainty is unavoidable, it should be constantly managed.The history and therefore culture of safety, with a certain ideal of human health and human activity, are precious for the development of novel technology, organizations and related individual activities. Many examples of practices and design projects show how cross‐fertilization of prevention and human systems integration is useful for human‐centred and organizational design. Risk‐taking can be anticipated at design time thanks to collaboration between experts from various fields. This type of participatory design is more likely to lead to optimized risk‐taking and risk‐management for all workers. Cross‐fertilization of engineering design and human prevention is a matter of connecting technology, organizations and people throughout the life cycle of a system of systems. This can only be achieved by considering and implementing activity analysis to develop it in relation to Leontiev's activity theory (Leontiev, 1978). This type of approach will allow us to improve prevention, rather than simply mitigating the impact of incidents by implementing recovery procedures or corrective actions, as is still typically the case today.

Implementing HSI Research in COTS Tools

AbstractIn this paper, we describe the process for taking Human Systems Integration (HSI) research developed by George Mason University for creating high quality standard operating procedures (SOPs) and using that information to modify a commercial off‐the‐shelf tool, Innoslate®, to create a new tool, Sopatra®, that aids SOP developers in creating and verifying that the procedures work within the Allowable Operational Time Window (AOTW). The tool compares the AOTW with the Time on Procedure (ToP) to create new metrics: Procedure Buffer Time (PBT) and Probability of Failure to Complete (PFtC). A new Natural Language Processing (NLP) technique was developed as well.

Socioergonomics: A few clarifications on the Technology‐Organizations‐People Tryptic

AbstractThis position paper introduces and coins the term socioergonomics, considered as a sociological, ontological, and methodological support to human systems integration (HSI). It describes the evolution of ergonomics from early physiological to psychological to contemporary social sciences approaches supporting Industry 4.0 sociotechnical systems engineering. It presents a Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) extension to Organizational Readiness Levels (ORLs) and a departure toward a socioergonomics approach that includes systemic properties such as flexibility, separability, and emergent social facts.

Human Systems Integration for Organizational Longevity When Innovation is Key

AbstractOrganizations that thrive in the long run must innovate. Innovation often means that old business endeavors have to yield to the new technology. This is difficult when operations are well established and profitable. Yet it is essential for long term success. Systems Thinking offers principles for developing a methodology for integrating human systems so that this is possible. Systems Thinking takes advantage of overall holistic views which allow for new ways for connections between people to manifest. This paper is about developing this methodology so that management and technical workers are in sync as new technology moves forward. The emphasis of the paper is focused on the way the interactions occur and how the process unfolds as new technology becomes more inevitable.

Holistic Asset Performance Management Systems: Speculative design for Industrial APM systems and human work experience in an Industry 5.0 setting

AbstractThe aim of this article is to comprehend human work experience in industry 5.0. In the next generation of human systems integration, the major challenge will be to incorporate creative experiences of people with technologies. This aspect will be particularly salient when using Asset Performance management Systems. In this article, we use a qualitative futures planning approach with a speculative design methodology to comprehend human experience in next generation work systems. We propose that by incorporating human experience, we need to characterize these systems as Holistic Asset Performance Management systems that consider the human without reducing it to the mechanistic component. By building on the speculative enactment method, this research also explores the advantages of involving actual creative individuals in the enactment process to achieve better results. It concludes with speculations for the future of APM systems and raises certain questions related to ethics.