Lack of action? It's very hard to say. Without timings or recordings of data or voice it might always be speculative. The whole mess might have occurred in only a few seconds. Sudden shocking unserviceability, and failed juggling leads to an unavoidable accident.
If the warning system records warnings being registered, but potentially invisible or under visible because the display was failed, then an oversight on the pump settings could occur, they could both stay off, and the fuel exhausts without giving the familiar lights.
I understand that the pumps can't be run dry, hence the need to select the pumps on and off. However, I'm not clear why the manufacturer can't automate this function. Allow the pumps to run whenever the aircraft is powered: when they sense they're submerged they pump, and when they sense that they're dry they turn off. Mr Sixtoo suggests that it doesn't seem that the need to turn off the main tank pumps when the main tank is almost empty, or to turn off front/rear when hovering/cruising adds anything to the pilot's knowledge of what's going on, and just provides a potential opportunity to get caught out. I tend to agree.