Revamping U.S. Army’s 80-year-old manual parachute packing experience
The U.S. Army’s Aerial Delivery and Field Services Department (ADFSD) approached us to modernize their outdated process with new technologies and automation to increase operational efficiency and improve safety measures.
They recognized that manual operations could no longer keep up with growing demand.
Current state at ADFSD
SOLUTION OVERVIEW
Implemented an intuitive real-time dashboard and redesigned workstation to streamline manual workflows and improve efficiency by 15%
We utilized technologies like RFID & computer vision to create an ecosystem of solutions working together seamlessly to achieve this!
SOLUTION 1
Real-time Dashboard
Designed to streamline parachute inspection queues, track tool usage, & monitor team performance in real time.
SOLUTION 2
Revamped workstation
Optimized for packer ergonomics with adjustable height, visual cues for inspection calls, and an RFID tool reader for real-time tool tracking.
WHY WAS A REVAMP NEEDED?
Parachute packing operations still remained reliant on unstructured manual processes from 1950s, making it difficult to meet growing parachute production demands.
Hence our client wanted to revamp the experience to:
Scale up production during high-demand periods
Monitor packer's performance more efficiently
Improve overall ADFSD workforce retention
Goal-setting with clients
Secondary Research
AUTOMATION - WHERE AND WHAT?
Before exploring automation solutions, we first aimed to understand which tasks or processes could be addressed early to make the most immediate impact.
We observed and interviewed parachute packers and inspectors at the U.S. Army base and gathered crucial qualitative data from our on-site visit in Virginia, and analyzed the data points to identify key problems that frustrated packers and impacted efficiency the most.
Contextual Inquiry
Observational Research
Affinity Mapping
The parts that impacted the efficiency most were:
01 Unstructured Inspection Calls
Inspectors struggled to identify who requested an inspection, often missing calls due to the loud and chaotic workspace. This also frustrated the packers
02 Unreliable Tool Check & Data Entry Methods
Tool checks, crucial for safety, were only performed at the end of the shift. If a tool was missing, packers had to undo their work, causing delays and inefficiencies.
03 Low productivity due to monotonous nature of work and lack of ergonomics
Since packing was monotonous, packers saw their work as just another repetitive task and lost sight of their contribution. This led to a drop in motivation.
Hence our challenge was,
How might we optimize parachute packing operations while ensuring a more ergonomic work environment for parachute packers?
IDEATION & TESTING
Gathering user reactions to automation concepts via low-fidelity prototypes
We ideated over 200 solutions and prioritized based on feasibility, desirability and impact. Then we tested, validated, and iterated our main automation concepts with 15+ users using low-fidelity and physical prototypes.
Crazy 8's
IDEO Prioritization Method
Physical Prototyping
Usability Testing
This was a very important step in our process as it not only helped us validate our designs but also helped us reduce making- cost to ADFSD by integrating existing artifacts like their ID - Common Access Card.
CREATING A SYSTEM DESIGN
Collaborated with technicians to integrate individual components into a cohesive system design
To ensure our designs integrated with the existing system, we also designed a system flow to validate.
Co-Design with Users
Systems Thinking
DESIGN & PRINCIPLES
On-site testing also laid foundation for our design guidelines, guiding iterative improvements for our final dashboard design and workstation revamp
Tablet Interface Design
High-Fidelity Prototyping
Blender 3D
01
Designing for Spatial Context & Quick Recognition
Since inspectors are constantly on the move, the system must support peripheral awareness and quick access to information from any point in the workspace. We also mapped the layout to match physical table arrangement to adhere to their mental models
02
Designing for Technical Failures
Since certain Army regulations limited full automation, and recognizing that technology can fail since a part of the work still relied on manual work, the system was designed with fallback mechanisms to ensure continuity.
03
Designing for Collaboration and Competition
Recognizing that packers thrive on competition, we introduced leaderboards to foster engagement while providing the organization with performance tracking.
Since the work can become monotonous, we also reinforced motivation by reminding packers of their mission, keeping them connected to their purpose.
04
Designing for Ergonomics
One of the biggest productivity barriers was the physical strain on packers, largely due to the workstation where they spent 90% of their day. To address this, we redesigned the table, making it ‘smarter’ with an adjustable height feature to improve ergonomics and reduce fatigue.
IMPACT OF OUR WORK
1. First human-centered automation effort in 80 years!
The process has been same and our efforts led to rethinking the experience in 80 years to create a better working environment.
2. Projected to increase efficiency by 15%
The process has been same and our efforts led to rethinking the experience in 80 years to create a better working environment.
3. Set a strong base for future designs
The process has been same and our efforts led to rethinking the experience in 80 years to create a better working environment.
WORDS OF APPRECIATION FROM ADFSD
“We are moving forward with future endeavors and development based upon these ideas”
· · ·
“It was impressive to see how that not only defined the problem with extreme accuracybut also solutions that we were not even thinking about”
REFLECTION
Embracing an ambiguous design challenge andadapting design techniques to deliver a human-centered experience in rigid army conditions!
The most fulfilling part of this experience was stepping into an unfamiliar domain and immersing ourselves through on-site visits and conversations with real users.
It reinforced that, regardless of the field, design principles and techniques are universal and can always be adapted!
