This paper considers several propositions that are widely held among people concerned with the maintainability of complex equipments in a military environment. It appears that these propositions are often dubious and represent unrealistic views of hardware and human performance conditions. Finally, it is proposed that these propositions, or “myths,” can be countered, not through “selling maintainability” but via a strategy of education and involvement.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aeronautical Systems Command, U. S. Air Force.Design handbook, personnel subsystems. AFSC DH1-3, January 1969).
2.
BondN. A.Jr.RigneyJ. W.Bayesian aspects of troubleshooting behavior. Human Factors, 1966, 8, 377–383.
3.
BryanG. L.BondN. A.Jr.LaPorteH. R.Jr.HoffmanL. S.Electronics troubleshooting: A behavioral analysis. Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Electronics Personnel Research Group, March 1956. Available as ASTIA document AD-94 409, or from Library of Congress PB 126448.
4.
BryanG. L.RigneyJ. W.BondN. A.Jr.LaPorteH. R.Jr.HoffmanL. S.McAllisterBeverly N.The role of humans in complex computer maintenance. Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Electronics Personnel Research Group, January 1959.
5.
Bureau of Ships, U. S. Navy.Maintainability design criteria, handbook for designers of shipboard electronic equipment, April 1962.
6.
CarhartR. R.A survey of the current status of the electronic reliability problem. Santa Monica: The RAND Corporation, RM-1131, August 1953.
7.
GoldmanA. S.SlatteryT. B.Maintainability: A major element of system effectiveness.New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1964.
8.
GringsW. W.RigneyJ. W.BondN. A.Jr.SummersS. A.A methodological study of electronics troubleshooting skill: II. Inter-comparisons of the MASTS test, a job sample test, and ten reference tests administered to fleet electronics technicians. Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Electronics Personnel Research Group, August 1953.
9.
LevadiV. S.TurnerL. D.ChristensenL. W.Fault diagnosis by white noise techniques. Minneapolis: Honeywell, Inc., Technical Report AFAPL-TR-66-43, May 1966.
10.
RigbyL. V.CooperJ. I.Problems and procedures in maintainability. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio: ADS Technical Note 61-126, October 1961.
11.
RigneyJ. W.BondN. A.Jr.MasonA. K.MacarusoR. B.Training corrective maintenance performance on electronic equipment with CAI terminals: I. A feasibility study. Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Electronics Personnel Research Group, December 1966.
12.
RigneyJ. W.CremerR. H.TowneD. M.BondN. A.Jr.MasonA. K.Measurement and prediction of cognitive loadings in corrective maintenance tasks: I. A Bayesian approach. Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Electronics Personnel Research Group, February 1966.
13.
RigneyJ. W.CremerR. H.TowneD. M.MasonA. K.A computer program for generating inherent corrective maintenance workload times: II. The application of ARMAN to maintainability analysis of two radar systems. Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Electronics Personnel Research Group, November 1966.
14.
RigneyJ. W.FromerR.LangstonE. T.AdamsH. C.Evaluation of an experimental fault location device: I. Fault location by radio operators. Los Angeles: University of Southern California, Electronics Personnel Research Group, August 1965.
15.
ShriverE. L.Determining training requirements for electronic system maintenance: Development and test of a new method of skill and knowledge analysis. Washington, D. C.: Human Resources, Research Office, Technical Report 63, June 1960.