Improving the Usability of an Automated Tool for the Recording, Coordination, and Communication of Traffic Management Initiatives

Abstract

The current processes for recording, coordinating, and communicating traffic management initiatives in Air Traffic Control (ATC) are inefficient, workload intensive, and time consuming. The National Traffic Management Log (NTML) is an automated tool that will enhance and streamline these processes. We used an iterative design methodology with a multidisciplinary design team to develop solutions to existing design problems, and to design new system capabilities. The design team included Human Factors specialists, hardware and software engineers, and ATC domain experts. The design challenges faced by the team included addressing the unique needs of the various ATC domains while providing a usable human-computer interface. The application of the iterative design methodology and the benefits of using a multidisciplinary design team will be discussed.