Kind Commander
Topic
Bachelor Thesis
Team
Hannah Wels, Filippa Osswald
Supervision
Prof. Carmen Hartmann-Menzel | Prof. Dr. Susanne Schade
Grade
1,0
Large-scale emergencies require fast and reliable coordination, yet many workflows in command posts still rely on analogue, redundant and error-prone processes. Delays in communication, documentation and situational awareness can become critical under high-pressure conditions.
The goal was to make coordination in staff-led command posts more efficient, transparent and resilient through digital tools that support existing emergency response structures.
Through secondary research, expert interviews, field observations and usability testing, key pain points in reporting, mapping, shift handovers and staff workflows were identified and translated into an iterative digital concept.
The result is vilma, a collaborative command-post tool that combines a digital situation map, message flow, staff-section workflows and documentation into one connected system.
In large-scale incidents, emergency response is not only about solving individual rescue tasks, it is about coordinating organizations, roles, resources and decisions while the situation is constantly changing. In the command center, information from the field is received via radio or phone, written down on paper forms, checked and prioritized, then physically passed on to the responsible roles.
All communication goes through this station. Reports from outside are received, sorted, and relayed, and instructions from the Command Center are transmitted to the outside.
The command center is staffed by trained personnel responsible for the overall coordination of an operation. They document, analyze, and make decisions using tactical maps and many forms.
The management office requires the highest level of concentration. Therefore, a meeting room must be selected for any discussions that do not involve the entire staff.
Today, this coordination still happens largely through analog processes. Situation maps are updated by hand with tactical symbols, damage accounts and notes. Decisions, messages and operational developments are documented manually in logbooks and forms. This analog way of working is familiar to the staff, but it also creates friction.
To understand the operational reality behind disaster coordination, we combined desk research with field research. We analyzed command structures, communication tools, documentation workflows, tactical symbols, message forms and the daily work of command staff.
Key secondary research involved expert interviews with members of the fire department, Johanniter, and THW who had led operations during major disasters.
Theory and interviews gave us a foundation, but firsthand observation provided the real insight. We observed three THW exercises, asked questions, and even participated ourselves.
To better understand our target audience and stakeholders, we created empathy maps to structure their needs, challenges, and expectations.
By focusing on command center processes, we mapped observed problems and possible solutions to specific roles and workflows, creating a heatmap of key problem areas.
After interviews and observations, we collected many initial ideas. To prioritize them, we used an opportunity matrix, evaluating each approach by value and complexity.
We analyzed key command center processes individually to understand when and where tools were used and identify opportunities for alternative solutions.
Two usability tests revealed structural improvements and preferred navigation patterns. The prototype was well received, and we remain in contact with stakeholders about a possible future implementation.
With vilma, the radio operator Adem has a clear overview of the incidents that have been logged and need to be reported. The system helps him to log messages and forward them to the right personnel. No more forms with four carbon copies – just a clear and direct flow of information.
The S2 module improves the collection, organization, and analysis of situational information. Relevant information can be centrally aggregated and clearly presented in the tactical map, enabling more informed and faster decision-making. In addition, everything is automatically and legally documented.
The S1 module improves the management and organization of personnel information. Work schedules, responsibilities, and availability can be recorded, which simplifies administrative processes and reduces manual errors. Vilma supports more transparent and efficient scheduling.
Users should be able to navigate the system in a consistent yet flexible and fast manner. To ensure this, vilma provides a tab bar. The global navigation, which includes global functions, is the same for all users across all modules. The lower section of each tab bar features navigation options tailored specifically to individual user roles. This ensures that each user sees only the information they need.
Vilma's input form allows users to ensure, with the help of the assistant, that no information is lost during data entry, that notifications are sent directly to the people for whom they are relevant, and that they are prioritized immediately.
Through various types of notifications, users are always kept informed about new information relevant to them. Notifications are so smart that they even suggest the next steps to take, making the process even faster and more efficient.
Flash alerts are of the greatest importance, and in most cases human lives are at stake. Therefore, processing these alerts as quickly as possible is vilma’s top priority. As soon as an alert is received, everyone else is notified that a flash alert is coming in. When the alert is triggered, it appears as a modal window to draw everyone’s attention.
