If you have ever been in a control room you know that the operator’s desk is cluttered with hardware. Why? Because in order to get a complete overview of the situation, an operator needs information.
A lot of information, all coming from many disparate sources. And, this is exactly one of the major issues. If you reflect on the evolution of the operator’s desk at your business, you will quickly understand how you got into this operator workspace paradox. The incremental addition of best of breed applications to support your business and the associated security requirements put you in this situation. The end result, your operator needs to physically switch between workstations running these best of breed applications, each with its own keyboard/mouse combination – and sometimes even sound system. Rolling around from workstation to workstation takes a lot of effort. If we look at it from a positive side, you could call it operator fitness. However, from a negative point-of-view, you can call it a very ineffective way of working.
According to a survey conducted by Barco, more than 40 percent of the operators use four screens or more at their job. Also, more than 30 percent of operators monitor at least five applications at any given time. You can easily see how there is a lot of rolling around in today’s control room. So what can be done?
Enter in Barco’s newest operator solution, Barco OpSpace.
One view. Total control.
Barco OpSpace integrates all applications into a single workspace consisting of multiple displays on the operator’s desk. With just one click, the operator can call any application into a work area positioned in front of him or her. The operator can then interact with this application while maintaining an overview of the other sources still present in his/her peripheral vision. This provides a more ergonomic and intuitive way of working, contributing to lower stress levels and better decision-making. To sum it up in three words, enhanced situational awareness!
Because security is essential in control room environments, Barco OpSpace provides secure access across multiple domains, integrating only at the presentation layer. The computer systems at the operator’s desk can now be physically moved in to a centralized corporate computer room. The advantages of relocating the operator’s workstation computers are an enormous help in complying with governmental regulations and corporate requirements. Furthermore, Barco OpSpace was designed for use in 24/7 environments − so the stability, flexibility and robustness of the system have been tested rigorously to prevent any failure.
Completely Tailored to the Operator
Because time is of the essence in a crisis situation, the OpSpace user interface is very easy to use, intuitive and extremely responsive. OpSpace requires no software recoding of all the best of breed applications you are using. Furthermore, the “follow me” function loads the operator’s personalized workspace, providing all of the operator’s preferred applications and sources in their pre-defined locations. The operator can start working immediately, without having to adjust settings.