A behavior-shaping constraint, also sometimes referred to as a forcing function or

poka-yoke is a Japanese term that means "mistake-proofing" or "inadvertent error prevention". A poka-yoke is any mechanism in a process that helps an equipment operator avoid (''yokeru'') mistakes (''poka'') and defects by preventing, correcting, or drawing ...

, is a technique used in

error-tolerant design An error-tolerant design (also: human-error-tolerant design) is one that does not unduly penalize user or human errors. It is the human equivalent of fault tolerant design that allows equipment to continue functioning in the presence of hardware ...

to prevent the user from making common

error An error (from the Latin ''error'', meaning "wandering") is an action which is inaccurate or incorrect. In some usages, an error is synonymous with a mistake. The etymology derives from the Latin term 'errare', meaning 'to stray'. In statistics ...

s or mistakes. One example is the reverse lockout on the transmission of a moving

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with Wheel, wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, Car seat, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport private transport#Personal transport, pe ...

. The microwave oven provides another example of a forcing function. In all modern microwave ovens, it is impossible to start the microwave while the door is still open. Likewise, the microwave will shut off automatically if the door is opened by the user. By forcing the user to close the microwave door while it is in use, it becomes impossible for the user to err by leaving the door open. Forcing functions are very effective in safety critical situations such as this, but can cause confusion in more complex systems that do not inform the user of the error that has been made. When automobiles first started shipping with on-board GPS systems, it was not uncommon to use a forcing function which prevented the user from interacting with the GPS (such as entering in a destination) while the car was in motion. This ensures that the driver's attention is not distracted by the GPS. However, many drivers found this feature irksome, and the forcing function has largely been abandoned. This reinforces the idea that forcing functions are not always the best approach to shaping behavior. These forcing functions are being used in the service industry as well.

Call centers A call centre ( Commonwealth spelling) or call center (American spelling; see spelling differences) is a managed capability that can be centralised or remote that is used for receiving or transmitting a large volume of enquiries by telephone. ...

concerned with

credit card fraud Credit card fraud is an inclusive term for fraud committed using a payment card, such as a credit card or debit card. The purpose may be to obtain goods or services or to make payment to another account, which is controlled by a criminal. The P ...

and

friendly fraud Chargeback fraud, also known as friendly fraud, occurs when a consumer makes an online shopping purchase with their own credit card, and then requests a chargeback from the issuing bank after receiving the purchased goods or services. Once approve ...

are using

agent-assisted automation Agent-assisted automation is a type of call center technology that automates elements of what the call center agent 1) does with his/her desktop tools and/or 2) says to customers during the call using pre-recorded audio. It is a relatively new ca ...

to prevent the agent from seeing or hearing the credit card information so that it cannot be stolen. The customer punches the information into their phone keypad, the tones are masked to the agent and are not visible in the

customer relationship management Customer relationship management (CRM) is a process in which a business or other organization administers its interactions with customers, typically using data analysis to study large amounts of information. CRM systems compile data from a ra ...

software.

References

External links

A paper that includes the conceptArchitectures of Control in Design, a site looking at constraints in the design of products, systems and environments
Engineering concepts Human behavior {{tech-stub