Who We Work For
ILT
From idea to tangible prototype
Challenge
The energy transition brings changes in the transport and storage of hazardous substances. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) wants to better visualize transport flows, identify emerging risks, and understand what future developments mean for supervision.
This led to the idea of a digital Atlas: a map that combines various information sources, enabling inspectors and managers to make more informed decisions.
But how do you make such an ambition concrete? What exactly should the Atlas show? What information do different users need? And how do you ensure that developers and future users have the same vision?
Approach
Together with a multidisciplinary team of nine ILT colleagues, we gathered available knowledge, ideas, and user needs.
During interactive workshops, the team developed five concrete use cases. What does an inspector need to see during a railway disruption? How can a permit assessor identify risks earlier? And what information does a manager need to make decisions about supervisory capacity?
We translated these scenarios into a visual prototype of the Atlas. Not a lengthy description of what the tool should eventually become, but a concrete image of how it could work.
Next, we presented the prototype to four ILT colleagues from various management and supervisory roles. Because they could see and evaluate something, the feedback became concrete: what works, what’s missing, what information is truly needed, and what assumptions still need to be investigated?
Marco Schoo
Program Manager, Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate
Results
The sprint delivered five detailed use cases and a visual prototype that the ILT can use to guide the further development of the Atlas.
The prototype revealed more than just the desired functionality. For example, insights emerged into the possibilities of combining information about different modes of transport, permits, and risks. This also brought new opportunities for collaboration between teams to light.
At the same time, the feedback highlighted an important prerequisite: without reliable and accessible data, the value of such a tool remains limited. Obtaining information from external parties, in particular, requires further attention.
The result was not a finished application, but something equally important at this stage: a shared, concrete vision of what the Atlas could mean, what choices are still needed, and how the team can proceed.
About
The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) supervises the safety and sustainability of our living environment and transport. With Project Atlas, the ILT is investigating how geographical information and data can help to better visualize current and future risks associated with the transport of hazardous substances.
