Application of cognitive work analysis in support of systems engineering of a socio-technical system

Abstract

This paper presents a validation workflow to support system requirements analysis. Systems engineering supports the development of socio-technical systems. However, the traditional systems engineering approach of reducing the system to component level to perform detailed designs and integrate them into a solution system may miss unexpected emergent behaviour when introducing a new technology into a socio-technical system. It may require changes in the socio-technical system's information flows, processes and procedures. Ignoring these emerging requirements may result in undesirable results or failures in the system. Cognitive work analysis, with work domain analysis in particular, provides a framework for analysing, modelling and designing socio-technical systems. The output abstraction hierarchy models were evaluated using a focus group approach for perceived utility in uncovering potential design emergence. The focus groups supported both the models and the proposed method. This structured approach will support requirements capturing and analysis for developing and engineering socio-technical systems.