Information Technologies in Complex Socio-Technical Systems Based on Functional Variability: A Case Study on HVAC Maintenance Work Orders
Information technology (IT) systems are known to promote improvements in quality and productivity of the work environments of complex and adaptive socio-technical systems that span hardware, community and software aspects. Systems development lies in eliciting and specifying requirements. However, c...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1049 |
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| author | Ivenio T. de Souza Ana Carolina Rosa Mario C. R Vidal Mohammad K. Najjar Ahmed W A Hammad Assed N. Haddad |
| author_facet | Ivenio T. de Souza Ana Carolina Rosa Mario C. R Vidal Mohammad K. Najjar Ahmed W A Hammad Assed N. Haddad |
| author_sort | Ivenio T. de Souza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Information technology (IT) systems are known to promote improvements in quality and productivity of the work environments of complex and adaptive socio-technical systems that span hardware, community and software aspects. Systems development lies in eliciting and specifying requirements. However, current requirements of elicitation techniques are limited to correctly understanding the complexity involved in socio-technical systems. Therefore, approaches based on Resilience Engineering can provide concepts and methods for a better understanding of socio-technical systems’ functioning. This study aims to increase the application of the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) in the requirements elicitation process. Specifically, understanding variability and its role in enhancing the requirements elicitation and specification process for the design/redesign of IT systems in complex socio-technical systems deployed in building maintenance is the main goal. This study proposes the merging of human factors and ergonomics (HFE) and Resilience Engineering concepts with Software Engineering. A case study was performed with workers to produce requirements specifications for work order issuing activity. This case study indicates the usefulness of the proposed approach for the specification of functional requirements to redesign the IT system examined. FRAM enables inferences to be made from hidden or fuzzy situations that are often not expressed by system users or are not detected by the system designer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:47:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-551cd315f9c048f0b4bba362fabf767d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3417 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T03:47:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Applied Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-551cd315f9c048f0b4bba362fabf767d2023-12-03T14:32:11ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172021-01-01113104910.3390/app11031049Information Technologies in Complex Socio-Technical Systems Based on Functional Variability: A Case Study on HVAC Maintenance Work OrdersIvenio T. de Souza0Ana Carolina Rosa1Mario C. R Vidal2Mohammad K. Najjar3Ahmed W A Hammad4Assed N. Haddad5Programa de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21941-901, BrazilPrograma de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21941-901, BrazilPrograma de Engenharia de Produção, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21941-901, BrazilDepartamento de Construção Civil, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21941-901, BrazilUNSW Built Environment, University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Sydney 2052, AustraliaPrograma de Engenharia Ambiental, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro CEP 21941-901, BrazilInformation technology (IT) systems are known to promote improvements in quality and productivity of the work environments of complex and adaptive socio-technical systems that span hardware, community and software aspects. Systems development lies in eliciting and specifying requirements. However, current requirements of elicitation techniques are limited to correctly understanding the complexity involved in socio-technical systems. Therefore, approaches based on Resilience Engineering can provide concepts and methods for a better understanding of socio-technical systems’ functioning. This study aims to increase the application of the Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM) in the requirements elicitation process. Specifically, understanding variability and its role in enhancing the requirements elicitation and specification process for the design/redesign of IT systems in complex socio-technical systems deployed in building maintenance is the main goal. This study proposes the merging of human factors and ergonomics (HFE) and Resilience Engineering concepts with Software Engineering. A case study was performed with workers to produce requirements specifications for work order issuing activity. This case study indicates the usefulness of the proposed approach for the specification of functional requirements to redesign the IT system examined. FRAM enables inferences to be made from hidden or fuzzy situations that are often not expressed by system users or are not detected by the system designer.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1049information technology systemssocio-technical systemsrequirements elicitationFRAMbuilding maintenance |
| spellingShingle | Ivenio T. de Souza Ana Carolina Rosa Mario C. R Vidal Mohammad K. Najjar Ahmed W A Hammad Assed N. Haddad Information Technologies in Complex Socio-Technical Systems Based on Functional Variability: A Case Study on HVAC Maintenance Work Orders Applied Sciences information technology systems socio-technical systems requirements elicitation FRAM building maintenance |
| title | Information Technologies in Complex Socio-Technical Systems Based on Functional Variability: A Case Study on HVAC Maintenance Work Orders |
| title_full | Information Technologies in Complex Socio-Technical Systems Based on Functional Variability: A Case Study on HVAC Maintenance Work Orders |
| title_fullStr | Information Technologies in Complex Socio-Technical Systems Based on Functional Variability: A Case Study on HVAC Maintenance Work Orders |
| title_full_unstemmed | Information Technologies in Complex Socio-Technical Systems Based on Functional Variability: A Case Study on HVAC Maintenance Work Orders |
| title_short | Information Technologies in Complex Socio-Technical Systems Based on Functional Variability: A Case Study on HVAC Maintenance Work Orders |
| title_sort | information technologies in complex socio technical systems based on functional variability a case study on hvac maintenance work orders |
| topic | information technology systems socio-technical systems requirements elicitation FRAM building maintenance |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/3/1049 |
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