Getting the Best out of People in Small Software Companies

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary-Luz Sanchez-Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Small Companies ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Systematic Comparison ◽  
Software Companies ◽  
The Impact

Managers of software small companies struggle to manage their software process. Therefore, for them realizing and understanding the impact of human factors on software process is even more challenging. Although human factors have been proved to have impact on software process, unfortunately they have been overlooked altogether. This paper proposes a holistic view of human factors on software process in VSE, focusing on the concerns and perceived shortcomings present. In order to identify and compare the human factors, the author carried out a systematic comparison of human factors. As a result, this study identifies the connection between software process defined in ISO/IEC 29110 and human factors given in ISO 10018 and its pertinence. In light of that, the author outlines first steps towards enhanced implementation of ISO/IEC 29110 standard based on ISO 10018.

Getting the Best out of People in Small Software Companies

2021 ◽  
pp. 1812-1829
Author(s):  
Mary-Luz Sanchez-Gordon
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Small Companies ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Systematic Comparison ◽  
Software Companies ◽  
The Impact

Managers of software small companies struggle to manage their software process. Therefore, for them realizing and understanding the impact of human factors on software process is even more challenging. Although human factors have been proved to have impact on software process, unfortunately they have been overlooked altogether. This paper proposes a holistic view of human factors on software process in VSE, focusing on the concerns and perceived shortcomings present. In order to identify and compare the human factors, the author carried out a systematic comparison of human factors. As a result, this study identifies the connection between software process defined in ISO/IEC 29110 and human factors given in ISO 10018 and its pertinence. In light of that, the author outlines first steps towards enhanced implementation of ISO/IEC 29110 standard based on ISO 10018.

Connecting the Dots Between Human Factors and Software Engineering

2021 ◽  
pp. 263-279
Author(s):  
Mary Sánchez-Gordón
Keyword(s):  
Software Engineering ◽  
Human Factors ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Technical Aspects ◽  
Connecting The Dots

Software engineering (SE) is a human-intensive activity where human factors play a fundamental role. As such, SE is an inherently sociotechnical endeavor on which different social and technical aspects are involved. In fact, it is recognized that successful SE not only depends on technical or process issues, but also it is influenced by human factors. They have been proved to have impact on software process and their study is a growing research field. The summary presented in this chapter highlights the results obtained in a five-year effort research aiming at understanding the role that human factors play in SE. As a result, a holistic view of human factors on software process is given.

scholarly journals An Innovative Approach to the Development of an International Software Process Lifecycle Standard for Very Small Entities

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rory V. O'Connor ◽  
Claude Y. Laporte
Keyword(s):  
Systems Engineering ◽  
Development Process ◽  
Software Process ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Small Companies ◽  
Small Organizations ◽  
Software Products ◽  
Software Companies ◽  
Project Scheme ◽  
Engineering Standards

For very small software development companies, the quality of their software products is a key to competitive advantage. However, the usage of Software Engineering standards is extremely low amongst such very small software companies. A primary reason cited by many such companies for this lack of quality standards adoption is the perception that they have been developed for large multi-national software companies and not with small and very small organizations in mind and are therefore not suitable for their specific needs. This paper describes an innovative systematic approach to the development of the software process lifecycle standard for very small entities ISO/IEC 29110, following the Rogers model of the Innovation-Development process. The ISO/IEC 29110 standard is unique amongst software and systems engineering standards, in that the working group mandated to develop a new standard approached industry to conduct a needs assessment and gather actual requirements for a new standard as part of the standards development process. This paper presents a unique insight from the perspective of some of the standards authors on the development of the ISO/IEC 29110 standard, including the rationale behind its development and the innovative design of implementation guides to assist very small companies in adopting the standards, as well outlining a pilot project scheme for usage in early trials of this standard.

scholarly journals THE FUTURE OF PASSENGER AIR TRANSPORT – VERY LARGE AIRCRAFT AND OUT KEY HUMAN FACTORS AFFECTING THE OPERATION AND SAFETY OF PASSENGER AIR TRANSPORT

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 104
Author(s):  
Petra Skolilova
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Human Error ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Aircraft Design ◽  
Air Transport ◽  
Final Decision ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Fuel Burn ◽  
The Future ◽  
The Impact

The article outlines some human factors affecting the operation and safety of passenger air transport given the massive increase in the use of the VLA. Decrease of the impact of the CO2 world emissions is one of the key goals for the new aircraft design. The main wave is going to reduce the burned fuel. Therefore, the eco-efficiency engines combined with reasonable economic operation of the aircraft are very important from an aviation perspective. The prediction for the year 2030 says that about 90% of people, which will use long-haul flights to fly between big cities. So, the A380 was designed exactly for this time period, with a focus on the right capacity, right operating cost and right fuel burn per seat. There is no aircraft today with better fuel burn combined with eco-efficiency per seat, than the A380. The very large aircrafts (VLAs) are the future of the commercial passenger aviation. Operating cost versus safety or CO2 emissions versus increasing automation inside the new generation aircraft. Almost 80% of the world aircraft accidents are caused by human error based on wrong action, reaction or final decision of pilots, the catastrophic failures of aircraft systems, or air traffic control errors are not so frequent. So, we are at the beginning of a new age in passenger aviation and the role of the human factor is more important than ever.

scholarly journals Robots for Elderly Care in the Home: A Landscape Analysis and Co-Design Toolkit

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluca Bardaro ◽  
Alessio Antonini ◽  
Enrico Motta
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Elderly Care ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Robotic Platform ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Personal Assistants ◽  
Healthcare Interventions ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

AbstractOver the last two decades, several deployments of robots for in-house assistance of older adults have been trialled. However, these solutions are mostly prototypes and remain unused in real-life scenarios. In this work, we review the historical and current landscape of the field, to try and understand why robots have yet to succeed as personal assistants in daily life. Our analysis focuses on two complementary aspects: the capabilities of the physical platform and the logic of the deployment. The former analysis shows regularities in hardware configurations and functionalities, leading to the definition of a set of six application-level capabilities (exploration, identification, remote control, communication, manipulation, and digital situatedness). The latter focuses on the impact of robots on the daily life of users and categorises the deployment of robots for healthcare interventions using three types of services: support, mitigation, and response. Our investigation reveals that the value of healthcare interventions is limited by a stagnation of functionalities and a disconnection between the robotic platform and the design of the intervention. To address this issue, we propose a novel co-design toolkit, which uses an ecological framework for robot interventions in the healthcare domain. Our approach connects robot capabilities with known geriatric factors, to create a holistic view encompassing both the physical platform and the logic of the deployment. As a case study-based validation, we discuss the use of the toolkit in the pre-design of the robotic platform for an pilot intervention, part of the EU large-scale pilot of the EU H2020 GATEKEEPER project.

How Signs, Markings, and Hazards Impact Motorist Assessment of Cyclist Lane Placement

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (1) ◽  
pp. 1948-1949
Author(s):  
Mary L. Still ◽  
Jeremiah D. Still
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
The Road ◽  
On The Road ◽  
Lane Position ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Human Factors Research ◽  
And Training

Human factors research has led to safer interactions between motorists through redesigned signage, roadway designs, and training. Similar efforts are needed to understand and improve interactions between cyclists and motorists. One challenge to safe motorist-cyclist interactions are expectations about where cyclists should be on the road. In this study, we utilize more directive signage and additional lane markings to clarify where cyclists should ride in the travel lane. The impact of these signifiers was examined by having motorists indicate where cyclists should ride in the lane, how difficult it was to determine the correct lane position, and how safe they would feel if they were in that lane position. Results indicate that more directive signage – “bicycles take the lane”-and painted hazard signifiers can change motorists’ expectations, so they are more aligned with safer cyclist positioning in the lane.

125 INTRODUCING AN IN SITU SIMULATION PROGRAMME IN AN INTENSIVE CARE UNIT

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry Bateman ◽  
Karen Johnston ◽  
Andrew Badacsonyi ◽  
Natalie Clarke ◽  
Kathleen Conneally ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Human Factors ◽  
Professional Training ◽  
In Situ Simulation ◽  
Airline Pilots ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Emergency Scenarios ◽  
The Impact

This North London hospital has a 14-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU). As a small District General ICU, staff exposure to emergency scenarios can be infrequent. Lack of practice can lead to a reduction in staff confidence and knowledge when these scenarios are encountered, especially during the COVID pandemic. The ICU had not previously undertaken in situ multi-disciplinary team (MDT) simulation sessions on the unit.The aim of the study was to introduce a novel programme of MDT simulation sessions in the ICU and provide feedback with the aim of increasing both staff confidence in managing emergency scenarios and staff understanding of the impact of human factors.A team of ICU Simulation Champions created emergency scenarios that could occur in the ICU. Pre-simulation and post-simulation questionnaires were produced to capture staff opinion on topics including benefits and barriers to simulation training and confidence in managing ICU emergencies. Members of the ICU MDT would be selected to participate in simulation scenarios. Afterwards, debrief sessions would be facilitated by Simulation Champions and Airline Pilots with a particular focus on competence in managing the emergency and human factors elements, such as communication and leadership. Participants would then be surveyed with the post-simulation questionnaire.Nine simulation sessions were conducted between October 2020 and June 2021. The sessions occurred within the ICU during the working day in a designated bay with the availability of all standard ICU resources and involved multiple MDT members to aid fidelity. Feedback by Simulation Champions mainly focussed on knowledge related to the ICU emergency, whilst the Airline Pilots provided expert feedback on human factors training. Fifty-five staff members completed the pre-simulation questionnaire and 37 simulation participants completed the post-simulation questionnaire. Prior to simulation participation, 28.3% of respondents agreed they felt confident managing emergency scenarios on ICU – this figure increased to 54.1% following simulation participation. 94.4% of simulation participants agreed that their knowledge of human factors had improved following the simulation and 100% of participants wanted further simulation teaching. Figure 1 shows a thematic analysis of the responses from 31 participants who were questioned about perceived benefits from simulation teaching. Following the success of the programme, the Hospital Trust will continue to support and develop inter-speciality and inter-professional training, and have funded the appointment of an ICU Simulation Fellow to continue to lead and enhance future in situ simulation teaching on the ICU.

scholarly journals Surgeons' Experience of Learning Psychological Skills: A Preliminary Evaluation of a Psychological Skills Training Course

2009 ◽  
Vol 91 (4) ◽  
pp. 321-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Mason ◽  
Selina Balloo ◽  
Dominic Upton ◽  
Kamal Heer ◽  
Phil Higton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Psychological Skills ◽  
Surgical Performance ◽  
Psychological Skills Training ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
The Impact

INTRODUCTION A range of human factors have been shown to impact on surgical performance although little is known about the impact of training on the views of surgeons towards these factors or how receptive surgeons are to such training. SUBJECTS AND METHODS This was an observational pilot study using a short questionnaire designed to elicit views of surgeons towards a range of human factors prior to, and immediately following, a course designed to address human factors in surgical performance. Focus groups were also conducted before and immediately after the course to elicit views. RESULTS Of all the human factors assessed, decision-making was rated on a visual analogue scale as having the biggest impact on performance both before and after the course. In general, views of human factors changed following the course, most notably an increase in the extent to which work stress, interpersonal difficulties and personality were believed to affect performance. Three themes emerged from the focus groups: (i) personal professional development; (ii) the relationship between trainer and trainee; and (iii) the changing perspective. CONCLUSIONS Surgeons from a range of specialties are receptive to training on the impact of human factors on performance and this study has shown that views may change following a course designed to address this. Further training to address the theory–practice gap is warranted in addition to an evaluation of its effectiveness.

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