1 Introduction
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC.1/Circular.1512 - Guideline on Software Quality Assurance and Human Centred-Design for E-Navigation - (13 July 2015) - Annex - Guideline on Software Quality Assurance and Human Centred-Design for E-Navigation - 1 Introduction

1 Introduction

1.1 Navigation systems increasingly provide a variety of information and services for enhancing navigation safety and efficiency. These systems require the connection and integration of onboard navigational systems as well as shore-side support systems and involve the collection, integration, exchange, presentation and analysis of marine data and information.

1.2 The merits of navigation systems can be found not only in their range of functions but also underpinned by their trustworthy software and overall usability. This guideline is intended to complement and support the principal requirements specified under SOLAS regulation V/15.

1.3 Achieving trustworthy software and usability in the development of complex systems requires a disciplined and structured approach. This guideline encourages such an approach in the development and management of e-navigation systems, with particular focus on Software Quality Assurance (SQA) and Human-Centred Design (HCD) that includes Usability Testing (UT). Systems so designed, developed and managed throughout their life cycle deliver improved user performance, being stable and resilient, and, most importantly, support users in low and high workload environments, such as during challenging navigation and environmental conditions when users are most vulnerable to making mistakes and when error management and recovery is essential. Other important benefits include limiting the amount of operator familiarization training that is needed and the time and resources required for system maintenance and support.

1.4 SQA focuses on defining and testing software quality and how that helps meet user requirements to ensure that high quality, robust, testable and stable software is used in e-navigation systems. E-navigation software quality needs to be evaluated to ensure relevant quality characteristics meet the requirements of the system.

1.5 The basic premise of HCD is that systems are designed to suit the characteristics of intended users and the tasks they perform, rather than requiring users to adapt to a system. UT is a key component of HCD and uses methods that rely on including users to test the ability of systems to support user needs. UT helps to identify potential problems and solutions during design and development stages by using an iterative approach to testing where the design evolves through rounds of prototyping, testing, analysing, refining and testing again.

1.6 The combination of SQA and HCD (including UT) provides opportunities to guide system design and development to improve data quality and information analysis, and to generally meet user needs and enhance safety.

1.7 This guideline is not intended to be the sole source of guidance for SQA and HCD and associated activities. Rather, it is intended to provide a general understanding of SQA and HCD for the effective design and development of e-navigation systems. It draws extensively on existing relevant international standards. Appendix 1 provides a list of recommended international standards used to support this guideline.

1.8 For any ISO/IEC standards referred to in this guideline, the current edition (including any amendments) applies, taking into account implementation periods, as applicable.

Parent topic: Annex - Guideline on Software Quality Assurance and Human Centred-Design for E-Navigation
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