Decomposing Automation: Apparent Simplicity, Real Complexity

We usually focus on the perceived benefits of new automated or computerized devices. Our fascination with the possibilities afforded by technology in general often obscures the fact that new computerized and automated devices also create new burdens and complexities for the individuals and teams of practitioners responsible for operating, troubleshooting, and managing highconsequence systems. First, the demands may involve new or changed tasks such as device setup and initialization, configuration control, or operating sequences. Second, cognitive demands change as well, creating new interface management tasks, new attentional demands, the need to track automated device state and performance, new communication or coordination tasks, and new knowledge requirements. Third, the role of people in the system changes as new technology is introduced. Practitioners may function more as supervisory controllers, monitoring and instructing lower order automated systems. New forms of cooperation and coordination emerge when automated systems are capable of independent action. Fourth, new technology links together different parts that were formerly less connected. As more data flows into some parts of a systems, the result is often data overload. Coupling a more extensive system more tightly together can produce new patterns of system failure. As technology change occurs we must not forget that the price of new benefits is often a significant increase in operational complexity. Fifth, the reverberations of technology change, especially the new burdens and complexities, are often underappreciated by the advocates of technology change. But their consequences determine when, where and how technology change will succeed.