Overview
ISO/TS 18152:2010 - Ergonomics of human-system interaction - specifies a Human-Systems (HS) process model for assessing how well an organization manages human-system issues affecting usability, health and safety. Designed for use with ISO/IEC 15504-conformant process assessment, the Technical Specification describes HS processes, expected outcomes, associated practices and recommended work products. The model is intended to be tailored to specific organizational and system contexts (software, hardware, embedded, consumer or bespoke systems).
Key Topics
- Human-systems (HS) process model: A structured set of processes that address human factors across the system life cycle. Core process groups include:
- HS.1 Life cycle involvement
- HS.2 Integrate human factors
- HS.3 Human-centred design
- Process outcomes, practices and work products: Each process description specifies measurable outcomes and the practices/work products used to achieve them - enabling process-based assessment and improvement.
- Assessment alignment: Written for ISO/IEC 15504 process capability assessment; Annex E explains capability scales and attributes.
- Tailoring guidance: The model must be adapted for industry sector, system type and project needs; Annex D provides tailoring advice.
- Informative mappings and exemplars: Annexes include an exemplar assessment model and mappings to ISO 13407, ISO/IEC 15288 and other standards, helping integrate human factors into broader lifecycle and systems-engineering processes.
- Scope and limits: Focuses on processes for specifying and evaluating usability, health and safety; it does not define staff roles or competency requirements.
Applications
ISO/TS 18152:2010 is practical for:
- Process assessors and process model developers conducting ISO/IEC 15504-style maturity evaluations of human-factor processes.
- Human factors/ergonomics specialists and project teams who need to document practices, produce work products, or justify human-centred activities in procurement and contracts.
- Systems engineers, software/hardware designers and program managers seeking to integrate usability, safety and human-centred design into lifecycle processes.
- Organizations aiming for structured human-system process improvement, supplier evaluation, or evidence-based claims about usability capability.
Related Standards
ISO/TS 18152:2010 is a bridge between ergonomics/human factors and lifecycle process assessment - useful for embedding human-centred design and usability assurance into organizational process maturity and procurement decisions.
Open preview (PDF)Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Specification for the process assessment of human-system issues