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System operation and evolution
Software Engineering (CS391)
Fayoum University
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System operation and evolution
The processes that must be completed in order to use a system in the manner that was intended by those who designed it are known as operational processes. When an aeroplane, for instance, enters or exits an area, when it needs to make a change in altitude or speed, when there is an emergency, and so on, the people who operate the system that controls air traffic follow a predetermined set of procedures. Throughout the process of developing new systems, these operational processes need to be specified and documented. This must be done before the new systems can be implemented. In order to make efficient use of the new technology, it may be necessary to provide operators with appropriate training and modify certain work procedures. At this point, there is a possibility that problems that have not yet been discovered will emerge due to the fact that the system specification may have either errors or omissions.
Even though the system may operate according to the specifications, it is possible that its functions do not satisfy the actual needs of the operation. As a consequence of this, the operators might not use the system in the way that its developers had envisioned.
Although the designers of operational processes may have based their process designs on extensive user studies, there is always a period of "domestication" (Stewart and Williams 2005) when users adapt to the new system and work out practical processes of how to use it. This is the time when users figure out how to use it in a way that is most effective for them. Studies have demonstrated that, given enough time, consumers are able to adapt to complex interfaces. This is despite the fact that user interface design is extremely crucial. As people get more experience, they prioritise methods that allow them to use the system rapidly over
those that are simple. This indicates that while building systems, you shouldn't merely focus on accommodating novice users; rather, you should design the user interface so that it can be customised to meet the needs of more advanced users.
There is the school of thought that system operators are a source of issues inside a system, and that we ought to strive towards automated systems in which the involvement of operators is reduced as much as possible. In my view, this strategy suffers from a pair of major flaws, which are as follows:
It is possible that it will increase the technical complexity of the system because it will need to be developed in order to accommodate all of the failure modes that have been foreseen. This results in an increase in both the expenses and the amount of time necessary to construct the system. A provision also needs to be made to bring in people to cope with unplanned failures, and this is something that needs to be planned for.
Individuals are able to adjust to new circumstances and deal effectively with challenges and surprises.
Hence, when you are specifying and developing the system, you do not have to foresee everything that could possibly go wrong in order to be successful.
People have the remarkable capability of being able to respond effectively to the unexpected, even if they have never had direct experience of these unexpected events or system states. This is because people have the ability to respond effectively to the unexpected because of their unique capability. As a result, when things go wrong, the system operators may frequently recover the situation by discovering workarounds and use the system in ways that are not typical.
In addition, operators make use of their understanding of the local environment in order to adapt and improve procedures. In most cases, the predicted operational
System operation and evolution
Course: Software Engineering (CS391)
University: Fayoum University
