Communication and Coordination at Operations Control Centers
Updated:02:58 PM March 20, 2009
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The Problem
The future NAS will rely heavily on shared information both within a facility and between different NAS areas. The Concept of Operations 2005 describes a future involving increased collaboration between users and service providers for resolving strategic problems and ensuring the right service and priority is applied to service delivery. Technical Operations (TechOps)Specialists, formerly known as airway facilities, in OCCs will need to collaborate with AT, ATM, SOCs, other OCCs, DoD and others to establish priorities and make effective decisions. Through collaborative decision-making, priorities can be dynamically determined for TechOps maintenance activities, potentially promoting a more efficient use of airspace and decreasing delays.
TechOps has undergone many changes recently. One of the most significant changes has been a consolidation of operations into Operations Control Centers. The success of these OCCs depends on their ability to effectively coordinate and communicate information.
The Solution
This project investigates communication and coordination within the OCCs. The researchers conducted structured interviews at each of the three OCCs. The interviews covered a broad range of communication topics from their perceived relationships with customers, the effectiveness of communication tools given to them, and organizational communication and coordination.
Benefits
This project benefits the future NAS by documenting current coordination and collaboration within the OCCs and highlighting the areas where there current processes are working well as well as identifying areas of weakness. As breaks in communication and coordination can cause errors, this project may help TechOps to mitigate potential errors. Within weeks after the data collection, the information was briefed to AOP-1. Implementation of changes along the lines of the recommendations made by the researchers began within 1 hour after the results were briefed to AOP-1. Changes included improving the way supervisors provided feedback to specialists, balancing the workload, improving the supervisor’s awareness of the current events by collocating their workstations with those of the specialists, and more.
Products
- Ahlstrom, V., & Muldoon, R. (2003). Communication and coordination at Operations Control Centers- a quick look report.
