Graham Seeley, Sydney Trains - Using Cardboard and Paper to Optimise Future Control Room Design

1 Commercial in Confidence Commercial in Confidence

Using Cardboard and Paper to Optimise Future Control Room Design A Sydney Trains HF Case Study Graham Seeley

March 2014

2 Commercial in Confidence

Overview • Case Study: The Infrastructure Control Centre

(ICON) project –  A maintenance directorate incident response centre –  Objectives and challenges

• Developing the Control Room design concept –  Human Factors Integration; including design mock-up –  Engaging end users –  A new approach to shared overview displays –  Demonstrating value-added through Human Factors

Integration (HFI)

• Lessons learnt for future projects


“…a 1975 film directed by Edward Dmytryk”

– Google

“Something to do with chairs?” – ANON

But first; What is Human Factors?

Human Factors Integration

PeoplePhysical Size

CharacteristicsBackground

AttitudesValues

OrganisationLeadership

CultureWork Patterns

CommunicationTraining

JobDesign of Equipment

Rules and ProceduresTools

SignageEnvironment

•  Primarily a combination of Psychology and Ergonomics

•  Seeking to provide a good fit between people and systems

•  A multidiscipline, scientific approach to the optimisation of human performance at work


Background to this Case Study •  Historically there were separate 24/7 maintenance

operations centres for different asset groups

•  Limited visibility of each other’s operations, making incident coordination difficult

•  Aim: to improve incident-response and fault-management: –  A single point of contact –  Improved customer and stakeholder management

–  Efficient response, analysis and resolution times for complex inter-related faults

–  Efficient management of field-resources

–  Clear accountability and reporting


Designing the Infrastructure Control Centre

• Challenges during project-delivery –  Environment of wide-reaching Reforms –  Short timescales –  Different, isolated operational teams –  Design trade-offs inevitable

•  Infrastructure, Technology and Process impacts

• Most importantly, a People and Change project…


Initial workshop issues captured

Open-plan noise and distraction

Management interruptions

Room layout Desk design

Inadequate Storage space

Lack of “defensible

space”

Error potential in critical-tasks

Communication flows

Workstation layouts

Network Overview displays

Environmental design Alarm-conflict

Accessibility and circulation Protocols Conflicting design

requirements

End-user concerns Human Factors issues

Resistance to change &

Acceptance-risk


Conflicting Requirements

2

5

4

11.  Large overview

display from existing facility

2.  Raised platform

3.  Tall desk partitions

4.  Awkward circulation space

5.  Standing-height workstations

3


Creating a design mock-up • Mock-ups / prototypes can be used

iteratively, to give confidence in design

• Allow stakeholders to visualise a design –  Low cost, high value –  Intuitive reviews, unlike 2D designs –  Identify issues and support integration –  Optimise design prior to construction,

avoiding re-work

• Mock-up/ prototype detail should be commensurate with the risks or issues involved


Benefits of the mock-up exercise

• Cardboard and tape - $400

• Two willing graduate interns

• 7 days to build a mock-up –  Electrical Operations Centre –  ICON workstations –  Alternate Overview designs

• Managing project risks and optimising the design


Building the mock-up


Benefits of the mock-up exercise • The mock-up began

attracting attention

• Became a meeting point to resolve issues

• Trade-offs and conflicts were resolved

• Gradually began to establish user buy-in


HF Requirements - Overview Displays


An alternative Overview concept

…combined with a

suspended off-

workstation LCD

display concept A more usable LCD

overview, with screens

and information suited

to the room size…


An alternative Overview concept

Off-workstation reference display; Safe and comfortable interaction; Optimising legibility and visual field.


Change-management activities

•  Integrated workshops/ meetings • Field trip to review similar facilities in

operation –  Visit to Public Transport Authority,

BHP, and Rio Tinto in Perth –  Short, medium and longer-term

recommendations –  Further team building

• Stakeholder input to other HF and risk management activities

–  Human Error Assessment workshops –  Post-commissioning follow-up reviews


Video


Value added through HF Integration

• Confidence in design concepts

• Supporting delivery on schedule

•  Improving operational efficiency, communication and team-working

• Assuring staff safety, health and wellbeing

• Whole-life technology cost savings ~ $200k


Lessons learnt from this Case Study

• Early Integration of Human Factors –  Most effective from the concept phase –  Engaging stakeholders and managing requirements –  Value-added for project and whole asset-lifecycle

• Post-commissioning issues –  Managing degraded modes

• User-centred, rather than technology-centred
