Jens Olgard Dalseth Røyrvik

Applications of the Physual Designing Network in extended teams

This paper presents the Physual Designing Network (Physual.net), and addresses common connectivity problem in heterogeneous, asymmetrical teams, where the different contributors have differentiated access to collaborative resources. This has been accomplished through the development of flexible collaborative systems that support asymmetrical collaborative situations as well as symmetrical ones, for instance interaction between teams operating in a collaborative arena and one or more individuals using desktop-based systems. The Physual Designing Network provides a set of tools that increase the flexibility and level of interactivity, as well as increasing the feeling of presence, trust and control in complex, dispersed teams. The Physual Designing Network has been tested extensively with up to four locations engaged simultaneously, and a variety of symmetrical and asymmetrical collaborative situations are supported.

Handing Over the Safety Baton in High-Risk Systems

Successful, round-the-clock operations in high-risk and complex organizations rely on the proper transfer of critical information through skilled team communication and a reliable system for handing over the operations to the next shift. Handovers, by nature, pose a risk to processes when information is lost or corrupted between the sender and the receiver. This paper reviews some of the large-scale accidents that have occurred in the past 25 years, whose investigations reveal a failure in handover as one of the underlying causes of the accident. The paper then discusses the results of a qualitative study on the handover activity at the Norwegian User Support and Operations Center’s (N-USOC). The N-USOC has a control room for experiments on plant breeding in closed growth systems inside the International Space Station (ISS). This study provides an invaluable insight into the HO variability of a specific team in the use of two different control room consoles. Finally, the paper expounds on why there is a difference in the HO of two consoles by the same operators and why thorough planning is vital to efficient and safe operations.