Over recent decades, Australian manufacturing has suffered significant downsizing, a casualty of global competitive pressures. To revitalise this sector, manufacturing processes must transform to meet demands for flexible production of customised products and services. Adopting advanced technologies (digitalisation, augmented and virtual reality, collaborative robotics, additive manufacturing, and Internet of Things) can create the paradigm shift essential to realise this vision. Technology can be exciting but also create anxiety about losing scarce jobs. Putting the human experience of using technology at the centre of digital transformation – ‘the human factors’, can actually build foundations for creating sustainable quality jobs. This presentation highlights a human factors trial where augmented reality replaced paper-based work instructions in a task manufacturing a pipe installation. It provides a window to how work design may adapt to technology adoption through learning what end-users experienced. Be stimulated to think about the possibilities in the future of work and how psychology can shape this transformation.

At the conclusion of this event, attendees will be able to:
- Understand the concept of usability related to technology use in the workplace
- Analyse the effects of task and environment context on usability criteria for end users
- Identify and apply usability criteria in evaluation of workplace technologies
- Apply usability findings to the design of work to promote safety, productivity, and quality outcomes

O’Keeffe, Valerie J.
Jang, Ryan
Howard, Sara
Hordacre, Ann-Louise
Spoehr, John