Commentary article

How does human factors fit with COTS philosophy?

Lehn P. Atkinson T.
Ergonomics Australia – HFESA 2011 Conference Edition, 2011 11:44.

Abstract

Background: Recent projects within some Australian transport organisations have seen the implementation of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products rather than custom designed technology. The benefit to transport organisations of procuring COTS products can include cost savings in through life support, demonstrated product and system reliability, and interoperability between operators, if multiple operators commission the same equipment. Within the transport industry there is little research and guidance as to how human factors should be managed in COTS technology to support the safe, effective and reliable integration of standardised technology into a pre-existing system. Aim: The current paper aims to discuss issues associated with the integration of COTS products from a human factors perspective and lessons learned from project experience with Australian rail and marine transport operators. Results: In response to the COTS philosophy, the influence on product design and functionality is limited compared to those for custom made products. Consequently the process to identify, assess and manage human factors issues needs to be adapted to effectively support product selection, installation, testing, and operation, as well as through life support. To optimise the product installation and reduce the need for product modification, the requirements of the user and existing system needs to be examined before selecting the COTS product, and potential issues, such as unnecessary functionality and inconsistency, with existing systems, which all need to be identified and managed early in the project. Conclusion: To help ensure successful integration of COTS products into existing systems, the process for assessing human factors issues needs to be adapted to help ensure the selection of the most appropriate COTS product. Modifications to the COTS product may reduce the benefits of adopting pre-existing technology and increase the cost of implementation and maintenance.

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