Human Issues and Computer Interaction: A Study of a U.K. Police Call Centre

Abstract

The Barfordshire Police Call Centre project began as an attempt to find a more efficient way of dealing with the public. Arguably, what this study has demonstrated is that often, in the quest for technical efficiency, effectiveness, which requires attention to both technical and human issues, is compromised. By taking a more human centered approach, focusing on the whole information system rather than just the information technology, those factors left unsolved by the new technology have been addressed, and a way has been found to improve both the efficiency and effectiveness of this project.