We provide ergonomics and human factors expertise for clients in a wide range of industry sectors applying the principles of human psychology and physiology to the design of equipment, systems and working methods.

See Also

High staff turnover and high training costs are problems which arise in many work environments. From our experience we have found that these issues arise in response to a combination of the following:

At HFE Solutions we understand that these issues, if not addressed, can cripple the efficiency of an organisation and adversely affect their customers’ image of the service. We have experience in resolving these problems by providing professional advice and guidance through thorough assessment of the working environment and systems of work.

HFE Solutions have a broad range of experience within the defence industry. We speak its language and understand its requirements in terms of standards and best practice. We are considered experts in Human Factors and Training Needs Analysis by the DStan Helpdesk and our Technical Director was the principal author of Def- Stan 00-25 Part 13: HCI (now subsumed into Part 19). We have been involved in all four defence sectors and have expertise in the following areas:

We focus on understanding the real needs of the users and on reflecting this in the design. This provides our industry customers with a comprehensive human factors element which complies with defence standards and meets the MoD’s expectations. It provides the MoD with safe systems which reduce training, support and manning costs and reduce the possibility of human error.

HFE Solutions focuses on understanding the real needs of the users during their interaction with a product. This approach allows us to provide appropriate and targeted information to the design process. During this process we are, of course, mindful that the business case is not compromised. The advantage of this approach is that the end product is better suited to a wider range of people thus increasing its potential market and improving brand loyalty.

For this reason HFE Solutions would argue that when designing consumer products it is necessary to take the needs and desires of your potential users into consideration. We have experience of doing just this for a wide variety of clients. As well as supporting the development of more traditional products and systems, HFE Solutions have undertaken studies and trials covering a wide range of advanced technologies including:

HFE Solutions have developed a number of in house tools and methods to facilitate the investigation and assessment of user requirements in specialist areas. We endeavour to tailor our toolbox to provide a maximally relevant service for different market sectors. We work as part of the design team, ensuring that our input comes at the appropriate stage of the design process and takes account of feedback from all parties, including designers, engineers and marketing professionals.

There are many areas in which Ergonomics can be applied in the financial field. HFE Solutions can help with office, call centre and branch layout, ATM design and website design. The principles upon which we do this are:

We have found that making systems and products more comfortable and easy to use reduces call centre customer services calls, encourages repeat business and multiplies positive regard for the company.

With the NHS moving toward patient involvement in all aspects of health care, HFE Solutions can provide experts for user involvement facilitation: focus groups, surveys, questionnaires etc. When we have gathered the results we will air discussion on the opinions of users outlined in our report and help you be actively involved in the generation and implementation of practical guidelines.

For the manufacturers of medical products we can help you get it right before your product goes into the competitive and user centred market. Our consultants have experience in providing guidance and design solutions which are tailored to the users of the product. A recent student Masters Thesis sponsored by HFE Solutions looked at the design of Glucose Meters with the ageing adult specifically as the user group and provided over 100 recommendations for improvement.

All forms of transport, both public and private, can benefit from the application of ergonomic principles. The discipline of ergonomics began during the 1940s with the application of scientific principles to the design of aeroplane cockpits.

HFE Solutions has the skills and methodologies to work in an integrated team in order to provide safe and comfortable transport solutions on time and on budget. We would expect our contribution to provide a human centred view which:

In addition, we are on the Rail Safety Standards Board list of approved contractors as ergonomics experts.

The user interface with complex modern technology can be critical in order to ensure accurate results, reduce human error and frustration and allow the user to get the best performance out of the equipment. Our experience includes the design of:

At HFE Solutions we have experience in integrating emergency responses with the normal running of the system, as well as in designing dedicated response systems that are activated in emergency situations. Our specific experience includes the design of:

HFE Solutions’ experience in the legal sector could be said to be applied at both ends of the legislative process:

Relevant legislation can include: