Motivación y antecedentes.

Designing  the  user  interface  is  one  of  the  most  important  tasks  of  system  design,   as  the  user  interface  shapes  the  experience  of  the  user  with  the  system.  The  user   interface   should   shield   the   user   from   the   complexity   of   the   computing   system   underneath  and  make  the  overall  experience  rewarding.  If  the  user  interface  is   too  complex  the  users  may  be  put  off  due  to  a  steep  learning  curve  and  amount   of  time  taken  to  complete  functions.    

For   a   production   management   system,   a   simple   and   intuitive   user   interface   is   quite  important  due  to  the  following  reasons:  

• Busy   nature   of   construction   professionals,   especially   due   to   a   highly  

dynamic   site   environment   and   significant   amount   of   information   they   have  to  deal  with.  

• Varying   ICT   skills   as   literacy   (as   such   and   also   in   terms   of   the  

familiarisation  with  computer  systems)  remains  uneven  in  the  industry.  

• Highly   complex   systems   may   add   to   the   variability   of   the   process   and  

have  a  negative  impact  of  productivity,  which  will  lead  to  its  failure.  

As  a  result,  importance  was  placed  on  making  the  system  simple  and  intuitive  to   use.  The  following  process  was  followed  while  designing  the  user  interface.    

5.3.1.1  General  User  Interface  

As  the  VisiLean  system  used  an  external  BIM  platform  to  link  the  product  model   (BIM)  to  the  Lean  Process,  there  were  three  possibilities.  The  first  option  was  to   have   VisiLean   as   a   plugin   by   building   an   external   interface   that   will   integrate   with   the   BIM   application.   The   second   option   was   to   build   a   self   containing   application  that  will  access  the  product  model  (BIM)  through  an  API  (Application   Programming   Interface).   Finally,   the   third   option   to   build   a   product   model   visualisation   interface   (i.e.   a   BIM   visualisation   platform)   from   scratch.   Here,   to   ensure  simplicity  and  reduce  the  number  of  different  interfaces  (and  windows)  a   user  will  have  to  deal  with,  it  was  decided  that  a  self-­‐contained  application  that   accesses  the  BIM  through  an  API  was  the  best  option.    

Also,   to   minimise   having   windows   that   pop-­‐up   to   support   various   system   functions,   a   tabbed   interface   was   chosen,   with   each   collaborative   planning  

function  namely  phase,  look-­‐ahead  and  weekly  will  have  a  tab  of  its  own  along   with   the   general   administration   and   reporting   functions.   This   will   ensure   uniformity  in  the  user  interface  and  improve  the  system  workflow.    

As   the   VisiLean   system   deploys   a   highly   visual   interface,   the   icons   are   also   designed  in  a  visual  way  so  that  the  meaning  of  each  icon  becomes  obvious  by   looking  at  it.  For  example,  the  equipment  icon  has  a  picture  of  a  crane  to  provide   a   immediate   visual   feedback   to   the   user.   Also,   in   VisiLean   colours   are   used   to   indicate   the   status   of   the   task,   activity   or   a   phase.   For   example,   in   either   the   planning   or   BIM   application   the   colour   coding   of   a   production   item   has   the   following  meaning:  

• Red  depicts  the  production  item  as  “not  ready”   • Light  Green,  means  it  is  ready  for  execution   • Dark  Green  –  it  is  complete  

• Blue  –  It  is  under  process  

• Yellow  –  work  has  stopped  

When   designing   VisiLean,   it   was   considered   that   a   “Master-­‐Detail”   interface   would  be  deployed,  i.e.  when  a  user  makes  a  top  level  selection  (for  example  the   name  of  the  project,  a  particular  organisation,  or  a  system  user),  relevant  details   will   be   displayed   either   at   the   bottom   of   the   screen   or   on   the   right   side,   depending  on  the  context.  This  makes  it  easier  to  navigate  the  system  and  access   information,  compared  to  the  method  where  a  new  window  is  opened  each  time   user  wants  to  view  the  details  of  a  certain  item.  

5.3.1.2  Process  and  Product  Management  in  the  same  application  window  

One  of  the  main  considerations  while  devising  the  new  production  management   system   was   the   integration   between   the   product   and   process   management   aspects.  If  these  two  representations  are  in  two  separate  windows  or  in  separate   applications,  it  would  not  serve  the  original  purpose  of  the  application.  Hence,  it   was  decided  that  the  main  application  would  be  split  in  two  sections,  where  the   product   model   (i.e.   BIM)   would   be   located   on   the   right   side,   and   the   lean   production  management  features  would  be  situated  on  the  left  of  the  application.  

Further  details  of  the  integration  and  visual  feedback  are  provided  in  subsequent   paragraphs.  

5.3.1.3  Deploying  a  status  window  at  the  bottom  

It  is  considered  good  practice  to  provide  users,  feedback  about  the  actions  they   perform   in   the   system;   however,   this   should   be   done   in   a   discreet   and   non-­‐ intrusive  way  so  that  it  doesn’t  interfere  with  the  main  functions  of  the  system.   For  this  reason,  a  status  bar  has  been  designed,  which  is  positioned  at  the  bottom   of  the  screen  and  provides  feedback  on  user  actions  such  as:  

• The  selected  object  (i.e.  a  project,  a  task  etc.)  

• Status  of  the  last  performed  action  (did  it  succeed,  etc.)   • Progress  bar,  if  there  is  an  on-­‐going  process.  

5.3.1.4  Familiar  planning  interface  (to  match  leading  planning  applications)  

As   the   VisiLean   application   is   a   production   management   application   that   implements   collaborative   planning   features,   there   is   a   significant   emphasis   on   planning   and   scheduling   activities   in   the   system.   The   collaborative   planning   functions   extend   the   traditional   Master   Planning   activities   (such   as   the   CPM),   where   applications   such   as   Microsoft   Project™   and   Oracle   Primavera   Project   Planner™  are  used  extensively  within  the  industry.  It  was  considered  that  while   designing  the  planning  and  scheduling  activities,  the  familiar  planning  interface   should   be   deployed   with   additional   features   (such   as   constraints   analysis   and   integration  with  BIM).  By  doing  so,  the  users  will  quickly  familiarise  themselves   with   the   activities   and   focus   directly   on   the   new   features   such   as   constraints   analysis  and  BIM,  hence  reducing  the  time  associated  in  learning  a  new  system.  

5.3.1.5  Touch  friendly  

With   the   developments   in   the   mobile   computing   sector,   especially   with   the   devices  such  as  tablets  and  smart  phones,  screens  with  multi-­‐touch  capabilities   are  becoming  increasingly  popular.  Many  such  devices  now  offer  functionalities   such   as   “pinch   to   zoom   in   or   zoom   out”,   rotating   the   picture   or   other   screen   artefact  (such  as  a  map)  with  two  fingers,  etc.  Also,  selecting  and  manipulating   items   with   fingers   rather   than   using   the   traditional   keyboard   and   mouse   is   becoming  commonplace  for  computer  users.  

As  the  newly  designed  production  management  system  is  intended  to  be  used  on   the  construction  site  where  a  computing  skills  of  workers  could  vary  greatly,  it   was   considered   that   the   system   should   be   touch   friendly.   However,   as   initially   the  system  will  be  deployed  using  a  traditional  computing  platform  (rather  than   a  mobile  platform),  it  was  envisaged  that  a  combination  of  traditional  and  touch   friendly  methods  should  be  used.  This  would  be  achieved  by  using  a  system  on  a   large  screen  such  as  a  42”  plasma  or  LCD/LED  screen  and  using  a  touch  overlay.   In   VisiLean,   the   touch   friendly   features   are   also   available   on   the   BIM   window   where  it  is  possible  to  Zoom,  Select,  Pan  or  Tilt  the  model  using  fingers.  

In  terms  of  the  further  development  of  planned  mobile  interfaces  with  VisiLean   system,   it   is   envisaged   that   an   improved   touch   interface   will   be   deployed   that   will  enable  multi-­‐touch  capabilities  in  the  planning  window  and  deploy  features   such   as   electronic   Post-­‐It™   notes,   where   each   task   is   represented   using   a   note   and  users  can  move  these  around  during  planning/scheduling  sessions  to  change   their   sequence   and   immediately   get   a   feedback   of   the   change,   similar   to   the   manual  collaborative  planning  exercise.