Well said Andy.  As usual, we are completely on the same page, and I agree completely that this is hardly new thinking!  To support the point about understanding the wider context outside pure engineering, I would tell you about my current main assignment, which is all about what we do at Euston Station with Customer Information Systems to improve safety, pedestrian flow, and customer experience.  For me, this is one of the most attractive assignments I have been responsible for, for some years, and the reason for that is that pure engineering, if I 'm being honest about it, is really not especially interesting to me - of course, I do it, and it's where a considerable part of my expertise lies, and I am as conscientious as ever about ensuring engineering assurance, but what really does it for me is to know that what I am doing is aimed at providing an enhanced customer experience.  Frankly, I really get off on delving into human factors, human phsychology, the customer experience for somebody using what, frankly, is currently the most horrendous terminus railway station in the UK, and if, by my efforts, I can bring a significant improvement to the "people" domain, then I derive enormous satisfaction from my work. At least 60% of my expertise goes into understanding the customer experience, the way that people use information systems,. etc.

I'm even instigating exercises to equip people with Virtual Reality headsets as they traverse the station to analyse what it is that they look at and focus attention on as they traverse the station.  How exciting is that?!!!!

Well said Andy.  As usual, we are completely on the same page, and I agree completely that this is hardly new thinking!  To support the point about understanding the wider context outside pure engineering, I would tell you about my current main assignment, which is all about what we do at Euston Station with Customer Information Systems to improve safety, pedestrian flow, and customer experience.  For me, this is one of the most attractive assignments I have been responsible for, for some years, and the reason for that is that pure engineering, if I 'm being honest about it, is really not especially interesting to me - of course, I do it, and it's where a considerable part of my expertise lies, and I am as conscientious as ever about ensuring engineering assurance, but what really does it for me is to know that what I am doing is aimed at providing an enhanced customer experience.  Frankly, I really get off on delving into human factors, human phsychology, the customer experience for somebody using what, frankly, is currently the most horrendous terminus railway station in the UK, and if, by my efforts, I can bring a significant improvement to the "people" domain, then I derive enormous satisfaction from my work. At least 60% of my expertise goes into understanding the customer experience, the way that people use information systems,. etc.

I'm even instigating exercises to equip people with Virtual Reality headsets as they traverse the station to analyse what it is that they look at and focus attention on as they traverse the station.  How exciting is that?!!!!