Dependability Management in Automated Border Control

Expanding ABC deployments place dependability management at the forefront of system development. Current literature on immigration-related biometric applications is extensive and encompasses a wide range of perspectives to the technology and its application in different settings. However, issues associated with system reliability in terms of availability performance have received limited attention. Depending on the number of e-Gates, passenger volumes and set capacity levels, the failure of even a single e-Gate may significantly impact service availability and hamper passenger experience at a particular site. This paper addresses the practical relevance of systematic dependability management in automated border control. Depandability management has to form a strongly structured yet an integrated entity in the whole ABC development process. It supports the optimisation of border control capacity with respect to manual and e-service and other resources. Dependability management enables cost-effective operation for both system suppliers, maintenance suppliers, and most importantly, system owners.