ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of Human Factors, how it should be integrated into the systems engineering process, and some examples from a variety of industries. It provides an overview of Human Factors and is intended to support the effective design of systems in a variety of work domains, including manufacturing, process control, transportation, medical care, and others. In order to facilitate the design of effective systems, Human Factors must adopt a holistic perspective on human–system interaction. The actions taken by the human components of a system are often more difficult to predict than the mechanical or electrical components. Call-center operations are a clear example of the need to include Human Factors in design to achieve optimal performance. Human Factors is also important in the prediction of system reliability. Human error is often cited as the cause of system failures.
