Human Factors Integration (HFI) is a key factor in the drive to improve operational capability and equipment cost effectiveness. The challenge is to integrate the human form with the equipment, to deliver maximum capability within the operational environment.
It is essential that any equipment design which takes account of, or reduces, training requirements, will provide considerable long-term savings. Using the HFI processes, issues such as usability, safety and personnel-related whole life costs will be addressed by providing a balanced development of both the technical and human aspects of equipment procurement, including:

• Increasing risk that systems fail to perform as required in the hands of their intended users
• Rapidly escalating training costs as demands placed on humans become more complex
• Recruitment shortages, particularly if the trend continues towards systems requiring more highly skilled personnel
• Higher staff turnover associated with recruitment and training costs as systems fail to provide acceptable working conditions
• Risk of increasing litigation associated with health and safety at work legislation

HFI Domains
HFI covers six key areas, or domains, covering: manpower, personnel, training, HF engineering, system safety and health hazards. These six domains are grouped under one initiative because of their interrelation. Trade-offs are conducted against each domain as follows:
• Reduction in manpower numbers vs the cost of increased automation
• Reduction in manpower numbers vs increased personnel skill requirements
• Cost of simplification of the user interface, vs increases in training time
• Reduction in operator manpower vs increases in support manpower and skill requirements

HFI provides a framework to consider these trade-offs and a mechanism to ensure that the system design considers each domain and identifies the best balance of investment and capability.