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Successful Systems’ Capital Technology Projects
BY RANDY J. KNAPICK, AICP Associate, IBI Group Portland, OR and ANNE O’NEIL, P.E., CSEP Chief Systems Engineer, Capital Program Management MTA New York City Transit New York, NY
Advanced technology has become increasingly vital to the business of public transportation. From the systems that support day-to-day operations to the information services that customers expect to the economic demands to deliver more for less, agencies increasingly turn to technology solutions. As a consequence, the complexity of capital projects has significantly increased—after all, it’s no longer civil projects but systems projects that are built.

Every complex systems project presents risks—and transit agencies rightfully embrace these risks in the name of increased operational effectiveness.  However, many transit agencies have borne the consequences of technology implementations gone awry because fundamental operational needs were not addressed in project development. Examples include surveillance cameras that are not maintainable and fail when a high-profile incident occurs, traveler information that is inaccurate during service disruptions (when customers need it most), and fare systems that have not been vetted for their impact on service delivery or enforcement.  

Unfortunately, many transit agencies struggle with technology implementation. Some of this is the legacy of a project delivery culture rooted in traditional civil capital projects. There are also likely to be institutional barriers that hinder intra-agency communications and cooperation in the design of complex systems. Additionally, there is often a lack of systems expertise among agency staff and their design consultants.

It is important to recognize the degree to which institutional factors impact project risk and the odds of achieving the desired project outcomes. Behind most successful systems capital projects are an organizational process and systems expertise to engage end users, mitigate project risks, and evaluate both technical and institutional complexities of the project.

How do you align your agency stakeholders to achieve a successful project outcome? The following strategies can help you achieve the intra-agency dialogue that is vital to the success of complex systems projects.

Involve End Users in the Project Development Team
More than traditional capital projects, complex systems require input from end users that will ultimately operate and maintain the system. Through inclusive involvement at the outset, the project team is more likely to identify critical business needs of consequence to inform the appropriate system solution. It also engenders a sense of ownership among such departments as operations, maintenance, IT, customer service, and others that assume the long-term mantle of responsibility after implementation. In agencies with organizational barriers or inertia to overcome, a senior management “champion” may be helpful in obtaining sustained cross-departmental collaboration.

Use Business Needs to Drive Technology Solutions
Before specific technology solutions or “widgets” are discussed, the project team should thoroughly understand the underlying business needs. Are there customer service objectives? Efficiency goals? A need for information sharing among business units? New operating procedures to improve service reliability? When business requirements are outcome-based and technology-neutral, there is more opportunity for engineered solutions that fulfill the operating needs. They are also a hedge against technology solutions that appeal superficially, but in actuality do not support the business case and may run contrary to core operating objectives. 

Establish the Project Vision, Roles, and Expected Outcomes
A Concept of Operations documents the primary business objectives and operational expectations of the agency in undertaking the project. It ensures that each department understands its future roles and responsibilities, so there are no surprises following project delivery. Properly facilitated, the Concept of Operations helps reach consensus among diverse project stakeholders and senior management, and allows them to test fit how well alternative design solutions or technology choices meet the agency’s business and operational objectives.

A well-defined Concept of Operations provides a basis for system design requirements and identifies policy or resource changes the agency must implement to successfully assimilate the new technology. Union negotiations, requests for additional resources or skillsets, and modifications to standard operating procedures may all be necessary to achieve the expected outcomes. If the agency cannot achieve these transformations, then an alternate solution should be selected.

Apply Systems Engineering Approach and Expertise

Systems engineering is the art and science of approaching complex systems problems in a structured manner, with the end goal of achieving a project’s high-level business and operational objectives. Trained systems engineering professionals have the skills and techniques to engage the end users, comprehensively document the business/operational goals, and manage the inter-disciplinary design solutions inherent in technology and systems capital projects.  Because systems engineering is typically outside the core expertise of its staff, many agencies need to augment their in-house capabilities.

Systems capital projects are often agents of change within a transit organization. With deliberate attention to the institutional aspects of systems implementation, agencies can successfully deliver innovative solutions that benefit our customers and ultimately transform our industry.  

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