The Impact of Technology Insertion on Organisations

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HFIDTC/2/12.2.1/1 Version 3 / 21 November 2007 • simplification is more common than enrichment, especially amongst shop floor manufacturing jobs; • jobs are usually changed in some respects by new technology. New skills, such as abstract thinking, computer programming and understanding <strong>of</strong> the organisation’s systems are <strong>of</strong>ten required. 6.5 Information Management and Policy Within both UK local and central Government, the implementation <strong>of</strong> new technologies raises new and different information management and policy challenges. It is also found to increase public expectations with respect to information access and service delivery. New information policy issues generated by IT use, also influence practices as new legislation and regulations are developed that affect the way organisations collect, use and disseminate information. As government is also a substantial market for the IT industry, its requirements and uses <strong>of</strong> IT have an effect on industry development <strong>of</strong> new technologies and applications. 6.6 <strong>Impact</strong> at the Individual and Group Level It is increasingly accepted that good Human Factors is critical to ensure that system performance is safe, effective, and efficient. <strong>The</strong>re are a multitude <strong>of</strong> impacts that new military technologies have had on individual and group capability. For example the introduction <strong>of</strong> night vision goggles has meant that military missions can be carried out throughout both the day and night. <strong>The</strong> impact on individuals and teams has led to improved performance <strong>of</strong> tasks at night. An associated impact on individuals is that missions extending further into the night may lead to less sleep and increased fatigue. At a group level this might require greater consideration <strong>of</strong> sleep management issues. <strong>The</strong> introduction <strong>of</strong> new missile technology on aircraft with the capability to target and engage enemy aircraft beyond the pilot’s visual range has resulted in several human consequences. <strong>The</strong> most obvious being that pilots find it harder to successfully identify enemy aircraft. Identification and differentiation, already a difficult task, is made more challenging when engaging beyond visual range. Unsurprisingly, technologies are being developed to try to aid the pilot in this task. A lack <strong>of</strong> focus on Human Factors issues in the design and integration <strong>of</strong> new technologies can lead to impacts upon through-life costs and military capability [53]. For example, the SA80 Rifle and Light Support Weapon was beset by a series <strong>of</strong> problems over a period from 1985 to 1992. <strong>The</strong> estimated cost for the modifications to fix these problems was £24 million [134]. A significant proportion <strong>of</strong> the problems was related to operability/fitness for purpose, including: • accidental discharge – the weapon could accidentally discharge if dropped on its muzzle when the safety catch was on; • trigger reassertion – sometimes the weapon’s trigger had to be manually flicked back into position after firing; 31
HFIDTC/2/12.2.1/1 Version 3 / 21 November 2007 • bipod deployment – the weapon’s bipod stand would sometimes accidentally fall down from its stowed position; • problems with bayonet – it was possible for the bayonet to fall <strong>of</strong>f if the weapon had been left resting on the bayonet release catch; it was difficult to sharpen; some bayonets broke <strong>of</strong>f at the tip; the wire cutters on the bayonet were inadequate; • magazine release catch – the weapon’s magazine could be accidentally released by the release catch snagging on webbing/clothing etc; • cleaning kit – the cleaning kit was found to be inadequate and had to be completely replaced; • reliability in sandy conditions – the weapon was prone to stoppages in sandy conditions. Relevant bodies <strong>of</strong> knowledge have emerged throughout the last century as a result <strong>of</strong> the impact <strong>of</strong> technology upon the individual and upon the organisation. Domains such as change management, socio-technical systems and human factors have developed considerable bodies <strong>of</strong> knowledge as well as numerous methods and techniques to avoid negative impacts upon the end users <strong>of</strong> technologies. <strong>The</strong>y have also sought to maximise the performance <strong>of</strong> man and machine. It is beyond the scope <strong>of</strong> this document to detail all relevant aspects <strong>of</strong> these domains, or to comment upon their success rate. Rather it is to raise awareness that the challenges <strong>of</strong> technology insertion are not new and that valuable work and research has already been carried out in this area, albeit under different names and from a range <strong>of</strong> perspectives. 32
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