Modeling human performance in a telecommunications network

The proportion of system downtime related to human error is on the rise in telecommunications networks. The need of the industry for examination of human performance led us to the development of Situated GOMS (SGOMS), a unique modeling system that captures not only the goal driven aspects of human behavior but also some of the event driven aspects. An SGOMS model of telecommunications installation work was developed by adding domain knowledge to the modeling system and tested on data collected after the model was completed. The model predicted behavior well and allowed for the integration of different task domains within the sociotechnical system. This modeling system could help researchers ask better questions and may simulate human behavior in complex domains more realistically than those methods that currently apply.