WORK SYSTEMS CASE STUDY
Required Texts
Guastello, S. (2013). Human Factors Engineering and Ergonomics: A Systems Approach, Second Edition. ISBN 978-1466560093,
The Work System Method: Connecting People, processes, and IT for Business Results, Steven Alter, [ISBN 0-9778497-0-8]
Syllabus description
Work Systems Human Factors Case Study
For this assignment, you will simply follow the work system method outlined in the text to 1) identify an existing work system issue, preferably a real issue that is relevant to your own organization; and 2) make recommendations to improve the system or build a new one.
COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT
The complete document (PARTS I and II) will probably be 10 pages or so of text, double-spaced, not counting the several figures and diagrams as explained below. You should include a cover page with some kind of name for the system that you have chosen to examine, along with the name of the company or organization.
The first several components represent PART I of the project:
- Defining the Work System. Begin the paper by defining the work system as it is, following Figure 4.3. Construct a similar figure and identify each component (as relevant) in the appropriate box. Also include a 1-page summary of the system to accompany the table. Reference the table in the text. Refer to the examples at the end of chapter 4 for guidance.
- Identifying Issues and Possible Improvements. Now construct a new Table following Figure 5.1. This will be the same except it includes additional "macro" factors that affect the whole system-Infrastructure, Environment, Strategies, and Work Systems as a whole. Figure 5.4 should help you identify areas that you may wish to target.
- You should target at least one area for improvement in each of the four domains: Work Practices, Participants, Information, and Technology, and one additional area regarding the work system as a whole. Ideally, this will be an overarching strategic goal that will encompass all of the changes that you recommend to each component of the system.
- Map each of these targeted areas to one of the 24 Work Systems Principles outlined in the text and reviewed in Chapter 5, using Table 5.5 as a guide.
- Justifying a Recommendation. This section should be a 1-page summary that supports the areas you have identified in Table 5.4.
Chapter 8 should help you develop a way of systematically and integratively thinking about these possibilities. You must include references to the human factors text where appropriate, up through the required reading to this point (chapters 1, 2, and 6), to support your arguments for 1) the necessity of the targeted improvement and 2) any human factors methods or procedures that are relevant to the redesign.
PART II should continue the document with the following components and address any feedback or suggestions from Part I. Each section should reference critical human factors principles relevant to the practices, participants, information and technology in question and cite supporting and corresponding material from the human factors text.
Work Practices. Construct a flowchart similar to that of Figure 10.1 or 10.3 to document the Work Practices you have identified in your Work Systems method. In your supporting documentation, examine what points in the process relate to the area you have targeted for improvement. What parts of the process could you improve or change to address these problems? Why? How? Discuss these changes with respect to Chapter 10 concepts.
Participants. Chapter 11 ends with a summary of possible changes to the system with respect to participants. Can any of these changes address the areas you have targeted for improvement? In about 1 page, explain how you would implement these changes with reference to Chapter 11 concepts.
Information. Construct a Table similar to that of 12.1. Identify at least two dimensions for each of the following 5 categories of metrics for Information quality: Intrinsic quality of information, accessibility of information, contextual quality, representational quality, security and control.
Select dimensions that you feel are most appropriate to examine for the area you have targeted for improvement. How can you implement changes to the system that will improve performance on these metrics? These changes might be to some aspect of database management, but they do not necessarily have to be technology-based: Information is stored, transmitted, and shared in a variety of different ways for different Work Systems.
Technology& Infrastructure. Construct a Table similar to that of 13.2, laying out the functions that each in category that technology performs (or could) in the Work System. Identify at least one principle for each function that could be targeted to address the area of improvement you have identified in the Work System. It could very well be that either technology is not currently part of your work system, or that you are not leveraging technology in way that maximizes the productivity of the work system. That's fine. You can simply recommend new technology to accomplish this goal. In fact, it may even be the case that technology should not be used the way it is currently being used. That's a fine conclusion to reach as well, if it supports the improvements that you are recommending. Summarize and support your discussion of the role technology plays in the Work System and how it can be improved with respect to Chapter 13 concepts.
Conclusions. Here will address the intersection of human factors principles and the work system as a whole. How has your understanding of human factors concepts and methods informed your understanding of work systems analysis and redesign?
Throughout Part II, you must include at least 5 references to HF principles in the Guastello text where appropriate, from at least 3 different chapters.
You should turn in one complete document (Parts I AND II) including any changes you have made based on my feedback for Part I.
The PRESENTATION should follow the exact same format. I recommend one slide per each of the sections above. Use the tables from your paper when you can rather than large amounts of text. The presentation should be no more than 10 minutes long.
Attachment:- Assignment.rar