Context: Technology Readiness Level (TRL) has been widely used in the management of aeronautical automation projects. However, it does nothing to take on board non-technological aspects such as human factors, organizational factors and human-machine interaction to name a few. It has been demonstrated that many projects failures are related to a lack of consideration to human & organizational issues. On the other hand, human factors specialists and systems/software engineers often find collaborative and communicative aspects difficult between them. With the upcoming 4th industrial revolution, new collaborative system emerges where human operators interact with automated system to achieve a goal. This statement led us to develop a 7 steps matrix that measures the maturity of a human-machine system and enable both human factors engineers and system/software engineers to collaborate in the design of efficient and safe systems. Furthermore, this scale can be used in conjunction with TRL.
Methodology: Literature review has been made on existing scales measuring human factors readiness level, manufacturing readiness level and system readiness level. This state of the art has made it possible to identify a gap among all these structural scales. They focus on one aspect that surrounds the system: either the technological maturity of the subsystems, the system’s integration into an operating environment or the consideration of human factors. The following matrix takes a functional perspective by using and activity-centered approach and seeks to assess the maturity of a human-machine systems (or joint cognitive systems) to achieve its goals in a dynamic environment.
Relevant elements of those scales were codified according to the meaning they were making for collaborative system design. The first model underwent a validity test that resulted in modifications of the three first steps (S-CERL 1, 2 & 3). In this way, the model follows an incremental path. Indeed, it is confronted with a case study in the field of aircraft engine maintenance. Several elements have been added, deleted and/or modified following its confrontation with the case study. Thereby, further adjustments are expected.
Results: The matrix provides a framework for engineers to consider human and organizational issues surrounding the system. It makes it possible to assess the adequacy of the system with its environment during the design process. More precisely, it provides 1) a collective thinking on the future human-machine work situation with an activity-centered approach; 2) a communication support among stakeholders and a means of bringing together different work packages, especially human factors and design/software team; 3) it prepares the operational actors for change through the participatory methods it uses.