Customising Human Factors Information for Better Australian Army Soldier Equipment Design and Acquisition

Australian Army equipment is rarely designed and acquired in a manner that meets the expectations of human factors specialists; early consideration of human factors to inform human centred design. This issue is in part due to the difficulty of accessing Australian soldiers to support human centred design. One strategy to mitigate the consequences of such an issue (equipment that is not fit-for-purpose) is formulation of a human systems integration process within the Army acquisition process. This study describes a process by which end-user human factors information can be collated and provided to suit relevant stakeholders. This dissemination of customised end-user information can assist designers, industry partners, and acquisition personnel to design, request, offer, and acquire fit-for-purpose and user-friendly equipment.