The human factor

Machines don't make mistakes – but as we know, to err is human. There's a long list of possible causes: Misunderstandings, neglect, habits, and a lack of knowledge – all of us make mistakes from time to time. And Anna is looking into the reasons behind this. That's because what often appears to be a random mistake can normally be explained. An unfamiliar interface, incorrect lighting, incomplete instructions – all of this can up the number of mistakes.

But if an error results in an incident, it will be examined. However, "engineers tend to initially examine errors from a technical point of view," says Anna. "At ZEISS, this is something we do very well. For example, we can find the molecule that's responsible for tiny irregularities in a crystal lattice. But my job is to consider the human factor in order to make work environments less susceptible to error," says the PhD natural scientist.

And now she works on the ongoing enhancement of the production processes at the ZEISS Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology segment. She scours databases with existing incident protocols – but is often directly contacted by project managers who are having trouble determining the cause of a particular error.

Looking into human errors is still a new idea in the industrial context. And in low-risk environments – where errors neither put lives at risk nor spell disaster – specialist literature is simply not available for the high-tech domain of semiconductor manufacturing technology. So what does Anna find so fascinating about her work? "This role allows me to combine my natural science and technical knowledge, as well as my many years of experience in the area of the user experience, with newly acquired knowledge about production processes in semiconductor manufacturing technology in a way that allows me to derive new information," she says.

The high-tech ZEISS systems have captured her interest, and she enjoys working with professional teams. "I'm proud that it's not just production departments that have taken an interest in the topic of usability – other departments now want to make use of our findings, too." So Anna is continuing her research. She hopes to write one scientific essay on the human factor every year – and uncover fewer and fewer errors.