Function allocation: Policy, practice, procedures, & process

Allocation of functions is known by human systems integration professionals as encompassing both a process and a product. As a process, function allocation refers to the sequence of steps involved in establishing the alternate roles, responsibilities, and requirements for humans and machines in a complex human-machine system. As a product, function allocation refers to the end state of the application of the process, the optimal distribution of roles, responsibilities and tasks between humans and machines. When the system development objective is to downsize emerging systems as compared with existing systems, the focus of the allocation of function effort changes from an emphasis on optimizing human roles to minimizing human involvement in system functions. In addressing the issue of performing system functions with fewer humans as compared with existing systems, the function allocation strategy is not