Readiness Dashboard — Unifying Mission Readiness Visibility Across Command Levels

🟥 Problem

The 521st Contingency Readiness Squadron lacked a centralized, real-time system for tracking unit readiness across personnel, equipment, and operational status.

Readiness data was distributed across multiple outdated systems, creating:

• Fragmented visibility across command levels

• Delays in accessing critical readiness status

• Inconsistent and duplicated data entry workflows

• High cognitive load for users switching between systems

• Limited ability for leadership to assess readiness in real time

As a result, even routine readiness assessments were time-consuming and inefficient.

🟨 Objective

Design a unified readiness dashboard that enables Airmen, supervisors, and commanders to:

• Access real-time readiness data

• Reduce system fragmentation

• Improve task efficiency and situational awareness

• Support faster, data-driven decision-making across command levels

🟩 Approach

1. Field Research (On-Site Discovery)

Conducted a two-day on-site discovery session at McGuire Air Force Base with Airmen, Supervisors, and Commanders.

Methods included:

• Contextual inquiry (observing real workflows in operational environments)

• Focus groups across rank levels

• Cognitive walkthroughs to identify usability breakdowns

2. Key Findings

Across all user groups, recurring issues emerged:

• Difficulty accessing critical readiness data quickly

• Frequent switching between disconnected systems

• Lack of unified operational overview

• Absence of intelligent prioritization for tasks and alerts

A recurring sentiment from leadership:

“We’ve got so much great data out there that’s not filtered and not accessible like it could be.”

3. UX Synthesis & Structure

Synthesized findings into:

• Role-based personas (Airmen → Commanders)

• Empathy maps highlighting workflow friction points

• End-to-end journey maps for readiness assessment workflows

This informed a role-based information architecture designed around decision-making needs.

4. Interface Design

Designed a unified dashboard experience focused on clarity, speed, and operational awareness.

Key design elements included:

• Role-based dashboards tailored to Airmen, supervisors, and commanders

• Visual readiness indicators for rapid status comprehension

• Progress tracking for unit and individual readiness levels

• Task lists with alerts for overdue or critical actions

• Consolidated workflow for viewing and updating readiness data in one system

5. Usability Testing & Iteration

Conducted usability testing with stakeholders using a coded interactive prototype.

Key insight uncovered:
Users needed the ability to compare readiness states across time and units.

In response, I added:

• Dashboard comparison functionality for trend analysis

• Enhanced filtering for cross-unit evaluation

🟦 Solution

The final design delivered a centralized readiness intelligence dashboard that unified fragmented systems into a single operational view.

It enabled users to:

• View real-time readiness across units

• Reduce system switching and duplication

• Identify gaps and priorities quickly

• Compare readiness trends across time and units

🟪 Results

While full deployment is pending backend integration, the projected impact includes:

• Estimated 5,200+ man-hours saved per wing annually

• Significant reduction in time spent aggregating readiness data

• Improved clarity for commanders making operational decisions

• Streamlined workflows for Airmen and supervisors

🟧 Strategic Impact

This project demonstrates how UX-led consolidation of fragmented operational systems can directly improve mission readiness and decision speed in military environments.

It reinforces the value of designing for multi-role, hierarchical systems where clarity, speed, and accuracy directly impact operational outcomes.