Risk Assessment: Tools, Techniques, and Their Applications

5.3 When To Use Task Analysis?

Ideally, a task analysis should be used when designing the system, procedures, and training. Conducting a task analysis as part of the design of any system or process should be one of the focuses. Those systems that include humans as operators, maintainers, or support personnel should have each of the areas represented in the analysis phase in order to incorporate the capabilities and limitations of the system. This should be done in the analysis phase. Performing a task analysis early in the design and with the user's input helps to eliminate rework down the road. It saves dollars and time.

The overall design process, as well as the task analysis, is considered iterative processes. In other words, design specs are presented and the tasks needed to complete the job are incorporated into the design process with continual changes until the final design documents are approved. The user's input is valuable because they are the ones performing the tasks and have the knowledge as to the best ways and resources to complete those tasks. There is always compromise but the fact remains that the task analysis feeds into the design for a successful overall system.

After the results of the task analysis are incorporated into the system design, it is necessary to perform the analysis again to ensure that the changes do not produce an unforeseen consequence. In addition to providing useful information to incorporate into the design of the system, task analysis information ...