Automated manufacturing and assembly systems pile upon the operator enormous amounts of information which must be quickly sorted out. It is important that the operator is furnished with the right decision support at the right time, by means of a well-considered execution of the human – machine interface, adapted to human requirements. This paper suggests a further development of the TEAM methodology with focus on maintenance and disturbance-handling. The aim is to improve the human – machine interface when redesigning or designing automated manufacturing systems by integrating end-user experience of disturbance-handling. The recommended approach is based on two methodologies: the TEAM methodology and the Human – Machine Analysis. Together they include maintenance operators’ information requirements, communication patterns, work task evaluation, information sources, disturbance-handling (especially in production change-over situations), etc. A pilot application of the methods at an automated assembly line for car bodies is described.