Manprint: An Approach to Systems Integration

PERSPECTIVE This book is important to everyone concerned with the design and development of people-oriented systems. The Manpower and Personnel Integration (MANPRINT) program is a major military system procurement initiative adopted by the Army to focus on the needs and capabilities of the soldier. This program is unique in that it integrates six areas of user concerns which include human factors engineering, manpower, personnel, training, health hazards, and system safety throughout the development cycle of Army materiel. Even though MAN PRINT was developed for Army systems, the philosophy and techniques used in this program extend well beyond military systems used by soldiers. It can be applied to all products and systems used by people such as automobiles, airplanes, boats, control rooms, automated manufacturing, telecommunications, computers, and medical equipment. Interestingly, the impetus for MAN PRINT came from the senior managers who buy these systems. During the early and mid-1980s, two Army generals, M. R. Thurman and R. M. Elton, who served successively as the Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, were instrumental in fostering MANPRINT development. By the end of the 1980s, this program was integrated throughout the standard procurement system of the Army. The formal statement of acquisition policy is contained in Army Regulation 602-2.