Richard Bye
Network Rail
Richard is a Principal Ergonomist at Network Rail. He has an in-depth knowledge of the rail industry, and over 13 years of hands-on human factors experience. Richard has been involved in a wide range of physical, cognitive, and organisational ergonomics projects, working on initiatives as diverse as the assurance of safety critical operational processes, the introduction of smartphones and tablets for frontline track workers, and the delivery of the first Traffic Management systems on the GB railway.
Traffic Management is an integral part of Network Rail’s Digital Railway programme, and key to the Traffic Management project is ergonomics work to provide design support and assurance.
This paper will outline how the ergonomics' teams from Network Rail and Thales, have used a DITLO (‘day in the life of’) design approach, modified into a scenario-based workshop method, to integrate human factors into the Traffic Management project, and ensure that the system meets the needs of those responsible for its operation and maintenance.
A review of the human factors literature, and of ergonomics standards, as well as consideration of prevailing wisdom in the software development industries, leads to the conclusion that embedding a user-centred approach is essential for long term success and quality in use.
However, finding the time, capacity, influence and opportunity to get the desired levels of human factors integration is extremely challenging for practitioners working in industrial settings. Ergonomics approaches within the GB rail industry are mature, and we are usually able to integrate with projects early in the development lifecycle. That said, the size and complexity of projects often results in the need to work within very narrow constraints where:
- commercial agreements have been signed
- delivery dates have been promised
- benefits have been identified
- implementation risks are not well understood
The DITLO method formed an essential part of the Traffic Management first deployment programme, driving ergonomics thinking into all elements of the project as early as possible. This allowed us to stress-test user-centred risks, assumptions, and dependencies that had been generated by the programme strategy and existing constraints.
Hosting a series of scenario-based workshops at the start of the ergonomics engagement was not without risk though. Bringing together end users, engineers, suppliers, data analysts, project managers, and other stakeholders at a time when there was significant uncertainty on all elements of the project, was an unusual method that required careful preparation and planning. Despite its somewhat unconventional nature, this approach was extremely helpful in managing uncertainty, fostering collaboration and informing the end state vision, operational design, and project delivery for the implementation of Traffic Management.
Besides detailing the workshop approach, this paper will share lessons learned, and provide a compelling argument for the strategic use of DITLO methods to embed user-centred design processes, elevate the impact of ergonomics, and ultimately maximise the effectiveness of the finished product.
Systems ergonomics , Traffic management and driver advisory systems , Added value and cost benefits in rail ergonomcis/ human factors
Richard_BYE_-_DITLO_Finding_the_Value_in_the_Everyday_-_v2.pdf 