Is Providing More Technology for C4ISR & Security a Good Idea?

Bob ChamberlainPresident

Monterey Technologies, Inc.(831) 648-3305

bchamberlain@montereytechnologies.com

Situation Summary

“Soon we’ll be swimming in sensors and drowning in data”

Brig. Gen. Robert P. "Bob" Otto

Director of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Capabilities, Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance and

Reconnaissance

Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C.

Why is this?

The current focus is on acquiring new hardware and software systems without any focus on understanding the users’ capabilities and limitations, and developing systems with a user-centered design approach that meets the users’ needs

Typical Systems Engineering Design Approach

• The system design is great if:– Meets all functional requirements– meets all physical & engineering requirements (e.g.

weight, cube, power, cooling, etc.)– meets the cost target– Meets the development schedule

But:

• The operator can’t figure out how to use it

Systems Engineering Program Manager’s typical approach

Implementing a user-centered design approach will only add to my project cost and schedule

Translation:• We know what we are doing• We know what our customers want• We can design the product to the specifications • Why waste time and money on human factors?

Result of a Systems Engineering Design Effort

Another systems engineering design result

Are these C4ISR operators swimming in sensors and drowning in data?

UAV Ground Station Design Project

Young people enlisting in the Army today come in with

2000 hours of “thumb time” (Playing video games)

Prime Contractor Product Development Manager

The ProblemThe Product Development team

did NOT understand their target user group, but

THOUGHT they did

System Design Rules to live by:

• You will not collect valid data by asking people what they think

• You will not solve the problem by purchasing technology, rather than understanding the user

One Approach to Technology Design

Do these system designers understand their user community?

Digital cameras typically have over 300 functions

What is your design approach?

How will the user perform with this design?

Engineering vs. User-Centered Design

•

The pilot must aviate, navigate, communicate, AND execute the mission!

The Problem:

The Engineering Team thinks this is a

good design!

How do we fix the problem?

• RFP’s must do a better job of addressing HFE & HSI issues

• Require Prime Contractors to actually execute the Human Engineering Plan• Write HFE &HSI requirements into the CDRL’s

•User community analysis•Functional requirements analysis•Task Analysis•Workload/workflow analysis•User-centered design prototypes•Usability testing

• Government HSI/HFE Experts must advocate with the RFP development group to include appropriate language and requirements in the RFP SOW

When it’s in the contract, the prime contractor will do it, when it’s not it DOESN’T GET DONE!

Questions?

Contact Information:

Bob Chamberlain(831) 648-3305

bchamberlain@montereytechnologies.com