1.6 SUPPORT BOTH A FOCUS AND AN OVERVIEW OVER THE CURRENT STATUS OF...

7.1.6 Support both a focus and an overview over the current

status of operations

The alerts should be presented in a way that the crew controller can easily obtain an

overview of the situation, as well as get a detailed view when required. Visualizing the

alerts as graphical objects, rather than text can achieve this. As the most important

information, for the crew-controller to decide which alert to handle first is the impact, i.e.

alert type and how many crewmembers it affects, this is could be mapped (if alerts are

chosen to be visualized as graphical objects) to the alert’s height. Color could be used

and be mapped to the reason of the alert, i.e. if it is a delay, massive etc. This way, it is

easier at a glance to attain an impression of the alert’s characteristics and it also has the

advantage, in contrary to textual equivalents, of being much more likely to draw attention

from the crew controller during periods when the work-load is low, and the crew

controllers focus might be elsewhere.

To attain focus without loosing the context, a focus+context technique can be

applied, such as the bifocal lens. The user could then get an impression of the context,

i.e. overall situation, by merely glancing at the alerts, while at the same time focusing on a

single alert and its details.

The Operations Monitor should generate a shift-change report when the crew controller

is finishing his shift. This is used by the next crew controller to get an overview of

transpired events, and what actions where taken.

Provide the user with the means to see the status of important resources, i.e. key

indicators. Important resources to be monitored are for example, number of

crewmembers currently flying, currently on the ground, number of standbys etc. It is also

beneficial for the user to see the current status of alerts, i.e. how many are solved, not

solved and being solved.