Flight Test Requirements
Simplifying aircraft test requirements and authoring document generation that replaced multiple tools and streamlined the process
Challenge
The current process of Work Request Document (WRD) creation for execution by engineers involves multiple tools such as Excel and Word, which can be time-consuming and inefficient. Additionally, the generated WRD must pass through various stakeholders for approval before publication, adding complexity and delays to the process.
Solution
A unified web application to streamline the process and simplify the task of gathering and documenting the test requirements for flight — replacing scattered spreadsheets and manual workflows with a single, purpose-built tool.
Project goal
Before a flight is cleared for take-off, elite aircraft engineers must collect test requirements from various teams and compile them into a Work Request Document (WRD) — a formal document that authorizes test execution and captures results for analysis. This entire process was managed across Excel, Word, and third-party applications with no single source of truth. The goal was to build a unified web application that could replace this fragmented toolset and guide users through the WRD lifecycle — from authoring to multi-stakeholder approval to publication.
- ✗ WRDs authored in Excel and Word separately
- ✗ Approval tracked via email chains and manual follow-ups
- ✗ No way to clone or reuse previous WRDs efficiently
- ✗ Test condition analysis done with separate comparison tools
- ✓ Single platform for WRD authoring, review, and approval
- ✓ Structured approval workflow with status visibility
- ✓ Clone and modify existing WRDs with one click
- ✓ Built-in similarity analysis for test condition comparison
User research & Persona
With a limited set of users, a two-day user research activity was conducted by an onsite counterpart from the team. Based on the outcome, we created personas to ground every design decision in real user needs and pain points.
What we learned
Decoding the research, two insights emerged that shaped every design decision that followed.
WRD reuse over fresh creation
Most users told us they rarely start a WRD from scratch — they find a similar existing document, copy it, and modify it. Any solution that forced a blank-slate workflow would fight their established practice and add time to the process.
Approval tracking was the hidden bottleneck
Engineers spent significant time chasing approvals via email, losing track of where a WRD was in the review chain. The lack of status visibility was as painful as the authoring inefficiency itself.
I spend more time copying and reformatting old WRDs in Excel than I do on the actual test requirements. If I could just clone an existing document and update it, that would save me hours every week.
Mapping workflows
A critical outcome from the research was visualizing the complete WRD lifecycle. We mapped every user role involved, the activities each performs, and the end-to-end flow from authoring through multi-stakeholder approval to publication. This alignment exercise ensured the entire team — UX, engineering, and stakeholders — shared the same understanding of the process before any design work began.
Wireframes & visual design
The persona and workflow diagram revealed two high-priority areas: WRD authoring (where engineers spend the most time) and approval management (where the most friction occurs). We focused our design effort on these two critical touchpoints.
Low fidelity wireframes were drafted through rough sketches and whiteboard sessions, then presented to customers to validate our direction. After alignment, we developed high fidelity clickable prototypes in Axure RP to demonstrate real interaction scenarios and gather rapid feedback.
Key design decisions
- Clone-first authoring — The default entry point lets engineers search and clone an existing WRD rather than starting blank, matching their established workflow
- Inline approval management — Approvers are added and sequenced directly within the WRD view, replacing the disconnected email-based process
- Status at every level — Each section of the WRD shows its current approval state, so engineers can immediately see what's blocking publication
WRD authoring tool
The core interface for creating and editing Work Request Documents — consolidating what was previously done across Excel, Word, and third-party tools into a single unified view with inline status tracking.
Approval workflow
A dedicated approver management panel that streamlines the multi-stakeholder review process — engineers can add approvers, assign roles, set signature sequences, and track status without leaving the application.
Similarity Analysis tool
Once a WRD is being authored, engineers need to decide which test conditions to include. Previously, this analysis was done using separate comparison tools outside the main workflow. We brought this capability directly into the application — the Similarity Analysis tool lets engineers compare test conditions by their attributes, values, and associations, then add the relevant conditions to the WRD without switching context.
The primary comparison interface where engineers select and review test conditions side by side, with color-coded status indicators for quick assessment.
Detailed drill-down view for analyzing specific test condition parameters, enabling engineers to inspect attribute-level similarities.
Results grouping view that organizes comparison outcomes, helping engineers quickly identify which conditions can be reused or need modification.
The final analysis summary with match scores across all compared conditions — the basis for deciding which test conditions to include in the WRD.
Measurable impact
A survey conducted before and after the implementation showed significant improvements in both efficiency and accuracy of the WRD creation process.
Reduction in WRD creation time
Reduction in WRD rejections
Key findings
- Unified tool eliminated context switching — Replacing Excel, Word, and third-party apps with a single web application reduced the cognitive overhead of managing WRDs across multiple tools
- WRD reuse was critical — The ability to clone and modify existing WRDs matched the users' most common workflow pattern, saving significant authoring time
- Visual workflow mapping improved clarity — Engineers could now see exactly where a WRD was in the approval process, reducing follow-up emails and status check meetings
- Similarity analysis streamlined test condition management — The comparison tool enabled faster, more accurate decisions about which test conditions to include in each WRD