Technology Recommendations - tpximpact/f4-fsa-field-ops-discoveries-overview GitHub Wiki

The technology recommendations for SOR and Rotas build on the recommendations for Timesheeting: an incremental, systemic technology transformation from a single system (SIR) with additional stand-alone applications and tools (SOR, Rotas) to a set of focused single-responsibility service components able to collaborate in delivering an integrated, data-enabled Inspection Resourcing service.

Two orienting design principles are indicated by research to date (including Timesheeting):

• focus on designing "just enough" technology to meet user needs and optimise user experience in order to make efficient use of staff time and cognitive resources; and
• prioritise machine-readable interfaces to make it possible for data to be held once and accessed at source/reused by any component of the service, enabling data to flow through an integrated whole-system.

Three key areas of technology design work have been highlighted by research to date. These areas currently drive user friction and therefore cost to FSA, FBOs and SDP(s). Investing specifically in these areas to arrive at pragmatic and workable solution designs will be critical to delivering value and benefit from the Inspections Resourcing work:

• The context of use, particularly in plants, indicates a need to ensure complexity is kept in check: e.g. minimising the number of moving parts - layers, components and applications a user is required to interact with - to reduce risk and improve overall performance of the system.
• Judicious use of basic mainstream technology, coupled with consumer-grade user experience, in line with Government Digital standards, so that technology works for users, supporting them in achieving their goals, whilst staying out of their way.
• A risk-based approach to (re)assessing and reducing security requirements on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the user context and overall service in addition to technical components. For example, reducing the volume, scope and retention of data where possible, in order to reduce risk and therefore the level of control required. In other areas (such as reference data) moving to open APIs as far as possible to minimise system friction and complexity (whilst maintaining Integrity and Availability).