Operator Workflow Research & Report
Motorola Solutions

Objectives

Understand the Operator’s role and responsibilities in the changing paradigm of AI

. Map Out Workflows and Processes

.. Capture Environmental and Contextual Factors
.. Understand Cognitive Load and Stress Factors

. Identify Tools and Systems Used

. Define Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)

. Commonalities Across Customers

. Differences Across Customers 

. Identify Pain Points and Unmet Needs

. Assess Training and Onboarding Needs

Research Methodology

Number of Customer Visits: 4: 

Campus Security (2), Corporate Security (2).  

Goal:
Capture a diverse set of use cases to understand differences in workflows and operator behaviors across industries.

Type of Sessions:
We used a mixed-method approach to gather qualitative insights:

. Direct Observation

.. Shadowed operators during live monitoring and incident response.
.. Recorded how operators interact with Avigilon Unity and other security tools.
.. Captured environmental and situational factors (e.g., distractions, noise levels).

Contextual Interviews
. 1:1 interviews with operators and SOC managers.

. Focused on understanding:

.. Typical workflows
.. Pain points and frustrations
.. Cognitive load during high-stress situations
.. Desired system improvements

. Think-Aloud Sessions 

.. Asked operators to verbalize their thought process while performing tasks (e.g., triaging an alert, investigating an incident).
.. Captured gaps between system design and operator expectations.

. Process Mapping

.. Documented step-by-step workflows for key tasks (e.g., incident triage, video review).
.. Identified variations between different customer environments.

Operator Persona

High turnover: Job may have a low retention rate and requires training of new hires

Training: Trained by what they were taught, not how the product should be used

Alarm fatigue: Many alarms can create tedious, repetitive workflows

Identifying cameras: If unfamiliar with a site or location, it can be difficult to find the camera/view they are searching for

Common Operator Behaviors

Executive Summary

The primary driver for using Avigilon Unity by the Operator is incident validation through live or recorded video.

Enterprise-level companies are often assembling their ideal security systems by integrating multiple products rather than relying on a single solution. Operators are comfortable working across these interconnected products to accomplish their tasks.

While maps were seen as valuable tools for efficiently locating cameras, devices, and security guards, users consistently expressed frustration with the current FOA and Maps experiences in ACC. Key pain points included scalability challenges and limited incident visualization.

Operators reported infrequent use of search features, but when they did, they cited concerns about slow performance and inconsistent accuracy, further impacting their efficiency. 

Additionally, a widespread lack of familiarity with Unity’s full capabilities (example: analytics) and best practices contributed to inefficient workflows and under-utilization of the platform. Hence building around incident validation, the primary feature, may be an intuitive add-on to the experience without much training.

These insights underscore significant opportunities to enhance usability, scalability, search performance, and operator enablement within Unity through improved design, integrations, and training initiatives.