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Common Issues When Integrating Transportation Asset Management Systems 

Running the Transportation Consultancy Practice for 1Spatial Inc., I have had the opportunity to solve data management challenges for numerous state and federal transportation organizations including Caltrans, Federal Highways Administration, Alabama DOT, Massachusetts DOT and Kansas DOT to name just a few. When working with Transportation Asset Management Systems, I have noticed a common thread of data issues especially when integrating assets which are in siloed systems. The issues I’ve seen when working in asset management are often related to location and include issues regarding the assets postmile precision, latitude and longitude precision, and using a common LRS (Linear Reference System) frameworkLet’s dive into these issues a little more:

  1. The proof is in the pudding, but also in the detailsFirst, let’s talk about precision issuesWhen you have multiple assets in different systems, there likely are different data standards for maintaining these assets. One of the most common issues I see is postmile precision. Because of the different data standards and collection procedures for each specific asset, assets have different precisions for their postmile field. If you are trying to locate different assets along a measured route and they are in the same location, having different postmile precisions could lead to the assets being ‘off’ from one another. The difference in feet between recording the postmile to the tenth of a decimal compared to thousandth decimal place is over 500 feet. Similarly, this issue occurs when recording latitude and longitude (lat/long) in decimal degrees and not recording to the same precision for all data. Recording a lat/long in decimal degrees at different precisions will also lead to assets being ‘off’ if they are in the same location. Depending on the precision of the degrees, the difference in location could be from 3-3,000 feet.
  2. Always know where your treasures are buriedAnother issue have found is when an organization is trying to locate its assetsThey may struggle with questions such as: Is it by latitude and longitude? Is it a location along a measured line? or What is the absolute best way to locate an asset? One thing suggest is having an organizational standard to decide the best way to locate an asset and implement that throughout your organization.
  3. You can’t put all your eggs in one basketIn addition to the location issues, another data issue I see is relating all the assets to one common LRS frameworkAfter investigating different asset systems, have found that asset owners use different vintages of the LRS. Asset owners with older vintages of a LRS would use outdated measures leading to assets being in the incorrect location. These temporal LRS intricacies propagate across all the data items which leads to incorrect reporting. For example, if the bridge asset owner wants to know how many vehicles are crossing a bridge, but the bridge and traffic assets use different time slices of the LRS, then the bridge asset owner will never know the true vehicle count on the bridge.

Solution: 

I have always said don’t just bring me a problem, bring me a problem with a potential solution. At 1Spatial, myself and the rest of the team adhere to that same philosophy. If it’s an issue, we try to fix it. So, if you find yourself thinking that you might have these data issues, don’t sweat it. 1Spatial can help. Our software, 1Integrate, brings the power of our patented rules engine to your location data, delivering automated data validation, cleaning, transformation and enhancement. It gives you confidence in your data by assessing its quality, ensuring it meets defined business specifications and is fit for purpose. Our team can help deliver significant time and cost savings while giving you confidence and trust in your data.

recognize that location data is ubiquitous and the potential innovations with it are limitless. I am passionate about the value such data brings to organizations and my motivation is to ensure its careful management through its entire life cycle1Spatial’s rules-based approach can automate any data task, such as validationchange detection, conflation, integration and so onMy team’s determination ensures that we provide our customers with the best solutions and help to facilitate efficiencies, ensuring decision support and safer roadways.

Samantha Dixon is a principal consultant who leads the Transportation Consultancy practice at 1Spatial. Throughout her career, she has solved numerous client issues including, but not limited to, conflating crash data, HPMS rule deployment, interstate edgematching at boundaries and creating validations for assets state-wide (including cross-asset validations).