A comment on one of my on-line posts was that the post focused too much on data, did not question if the correct measures are used and glossed over the fact that there is a load of information at the shop floor known as “Tribal Knowledge” that is important. This statement is undoubtedly true and I have had first-hand experience regarding the value of “tribal knowledge”. In another post a person was offended as an operator that I stated that an HMI can lead to incorrect actions or decisions by operators, as it implies that as an operator he doesn’t know his plant. This person undoubtedly knows his plant and would make good decisions. The quality of the “good” decisions however will depend greatly on the “bias” introduced by “tribal knowledge” and the scientific basis of the related “tribal knowledge”.
