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Abstract

Operators must increasingly multi-task their supervision across multiple systems. This multi-tasking supervision requires effective support tools to allow operators to quickly scan across systems and direct their attention to problems. Typical plant control displays, as well as many dashboard designs, offer too much data, and take up too much room, for efficient scanning. A new mini-dashboard display, called a Janus display, supports more effective scanning by incorporating a number of human factors design principles for supporting supervision and rapid scanning. The Janus design and these principles are described here. This description is followed by report of a laboratory study confirming the performance benefits of Janus and a description of the process of developing a Janus display for a network telecommunications system. Janus displays offer significant benefits for supplementing, rather than replacing, primary system displays.

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