Human Factors Engineering: Experiences of Abbott Laboratories

Abstract:
Abbott Laboratories is a diversified healthcare products company that has a strong commitment to human factors engineering HFE. There is a small staff of professional human factors people who broker their services in three ways: 1) Do hands-on user interface design and evaluation for selected key products, 2) Train internal staff to do basic HF procedures such as simple usability tests, and 3) Facilitate the use of outside HF consultants by helping to select firms and guide their work according to internally published Abbott HFE policy and procedures.