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CDTA Web Strategic Plan

PROJECT NAME: CDTA Web Strategic Plan

DEPARTMENT: Information Technology

PROJECT SPONSOR: CHRISTOPHER DESANY

PROJECT MANAGER: CHRISTOPHER DESANY

VERSION: 0.5

REVISION DATE: May 01, 2009

PRINTED: 5/6/2023 6:11:34 AM

I N F O R M A T I O N T E C H N O L O G Y W E B S T R A T E G Y0 . 5 | M A Y 0 1 , 2 0 0 9

Revision HistoryDate Description of Change Author

03/04/09 Created CGD04/23/09 Updated with roadmap and details RF04/29/09 Updated dates CGD04/30/09 Updated with more implementation details RF05/01/09 More implementation details RF

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Table of ContentsVision........................................................................................................................................................... 4Themes........................................................................................................................................................ 4Roadmap..................................................................................................................................................... 5

Infrastructure........................................................................................................................................... 5Information.............................................................................................................................................. 6Applications............................................................................................................................................. 6Services................................................................................................................................................... 7

Initiative Details........................................................................................................................................... 9Assessment and Development of Infrastructure Base.............................................................................9

Establish on off-site data center..........................................................................................................9Enterprise wide architecture review....................................................................................................9Disaster Recovery Initiative...............................................................................................................10Virtualization Initiative....................................................................................................................... 10Green Computing Initiative................................................................................................................10

Assessment and Development of Information Base..............................................................................11Migrate and Redesign of cdta.org.....................................................................................................11Information Management Study........................................................................................................12Implementation of Content Management System.............................................................................13Standardization of public messaging system....................................................................................15Connectivity between external and internal systems.........................................................................15

Assessment and Development of Application and Services Base - Internal..........................................15Assessment and Development of Application and Services Base - Public............................................16

Blog................................................................................................................................................... 16iPhone Applications........................................................................................................................... 16Trip Planners..................................................................................................................................... 18Video................................................................................................................................................. 18Social Media..................................................................................................................................... 18Alerts................................................................................................................................................. 18

Operational Considerations...................................................................................................................19References................................................................................................................................................ 20Appendix A – Proposed CDTA.org Design................................................................................................21Appendix B – Proposed CDTA.org Information Architecture.....................................................................24

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Vision“Harness technology to put services and information about our operations and decisions online and readily available to the public.”

Today’s transit agencies are under pressure from the top down, and the bottom up to become more efficient, transparent and open. With calls for increasing levels of accountability, participation and collaboration, CDTA recognizes that new applications of technology can bring about these desired changes. These new technologies, collectively referred to as Web 2.0, are pushing a next generation of government accessibility known as Gov 2.0. With Gov 2.0 initiatives, we have new ways to deliver value added services and information more efficiently and invite the informed participation of our ridership, employees and regional stakeholders.

ThemesTo ensure that this new wave of technology is managed in a well defined and strategic way it needs to be done within the context of the entire organization (enterprise architecture). Many of these Web 2.0 technologies can be quickly enabled and used. With this ability comes a lot of flexibility but can also quickly lead to a mesh of applications and technologies that can become unmanageable from an operational and IT perspective.

The following is a list of central themes that can be used as checks during planning and implementation that should allow CDTA to quickly realize the strategic vision but do so in a manageable way.

Implementation of this vision needs to be as lean as possible. Investment will be made where necessary, but with limited resources, operational considerations need to be evaluated with each new project.

There are two meta-communities that we need to support with this vision. The first is the public, which includes transit riders and advocates. The second is internal staff. Within these meta-communities there will be many smaller communities that will have specific wants and needs. By ensuring that we support the meta-communities first we can then continually refine information and services for these smaller communities. Some of these smaller communities include:

o Para-transit ridership specific needs

o Students

o Technology Savvy and Non Technology Savvy Stakeholders

o Lower Income Constituents

The application of this technology is evaluated and implemented within the context of the enterprise architecture. This should ensure that it does not become unmanageable. When making decisions about what services and information to provide via the web, CDTA needs to consider:

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Web 2.0 A set of principles and competencies that utilize the web as a platform in ways that facilitate communication, information sharing, aggregation, interoperability and collaboration.

Gov 2.0An outcome of Web 2.0 that involves public entities embracing these engaging technologies and leveraging the power of the Internet to become connected.


o System interoperability and integration

o Leverage of existing assets

o Delivery of information through multiple channels

o Security

o Accessibility

o Standards based

o Maintainability, and ability to “feed” systems with relevant, useful, and current information

CDTA looks to position itself to serve the next generation of riders who will have expectations for these types of services. Features include:

o Web 2.0 / Gov 2.0

o Social Networking

o Interoperability and the mobile user

o Access to data and services

CDTA looks for solutions where information and services can be pushed out quickly in a limited fashion to allow for public feedback. This ensures that we can manage the public experience and respond quickly. An extension of this is CDTA’s ability to deploy solutions in a timely and dynamic way without paralyzing projects indefinitely and having them never see the light of day just because “we just can’t get to it.”

RoadmapTo reach this vision the following high level road map has been developed. This plan is based on the idea of ensuring that the base for all future initiatives is in place and can be extended in a simple yet structured fashion.

Infrastructure The infrastructure that drives this technology is the foundation from which all future initiatives will be built. By ensuring that our current infrastructure is optimally designed and implemented, we develop the capacity for future technology and make the planning and development of new web services much more straightforward. The development of the infrastructure architecture also provides us with the flexibility to bring applications and services up quickly for assessment, and then determine a more refined set of recommendations for full implementation.

The currently defined high level tasks within this area are:

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Establishment of an offsite data center

Continuation of the Information Management Study

Enterprise wide architecture review

Disaster Recovery Initiative

Virtualization Initiative

Green Computing Initiative

InformationThe amount of data that we currently have within the organization seems boundless, How much of this is converted to actionable information is debatable at all levels. The key to this item is to ensure that the information we currently have is optimized for accessibility and readability by the communities it serves. There are many initiatives within the organization that are focusing on trying to extract information from existing applications to provide better service to our customers, and to allow for us to make more informed decisions. Externally facing information for public consumption is limited to the public web site (www.cdta.org). Based on this, we establish that cdta.org needs to be a major conduit for the delivery of all information and services to the public.

To this end, the high level task within this area focus on refining our web presence:

Migration of cdta.org from hosted environment to offsite data center

Redesign of cdta.org information architecture

Redesign of cdta.org user interface (look and feel)

o Implementation of redesigned information architecture

o Update with current technology standards

Implementation of a Content Management System

Standardization of public messaging system (NY Alert vs. Constant Contact vs. Gov Delivery)

Connectivity between external and internal systems

Design and development of services that can re-used for multiple channels of consumption

ApplicationsThe applications that we focus on with this initiative are all based around a central notion of Web 2.0 in that the “Web is the Platform”. This concept of the web as a platform focuses on many things, but at the highest level ensures that applications that are either developed internally or purchased from outside vendors and are web enabled. Some other core principals or competencies of Web 2.0 applications that we as an organization should focus on are:

Services, not packaged software, with cost effective scalability

Control over unique, hard to re-create data sources that get richer as more people use them

Trusting users (internal and external) as co-developers

Harnessing collective intelligence

Add features on a regular basis and engage users as real-time testers

Software above the level of a single device

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http://www.cdta.org/


Lightweight user interfaces, development models and business models

Internally hosted or an external service

By ensuring these principles are taken into consideration when evaluating new projects, we can ensure that related applications are evaluated within the context of the organization and enterprise architecture. This again should ensure that it is manageable and moves us toward delivering on our organizational objectives.

With these principles in mind the following are a list of applications that are either in planning or development stages for future release:

Internal

Objective Tracking (custom)

Employee Self Service (Munis module)

Contract Management (custom)

Claims and Accident Tracking (custom)

Learning Management System (on-line learning)

Google Maps Planning Application (custom)

Portal Expansion (custom)

o Departmental sites

o Searchable Phone Book

o Request Forms

o Document Management

o Project Work Space

External

Job Applications and Applicant Tracking (Munis module)

blog.cdta.org (custom, but built on standardized SharePoint platform)

Next Bus Text Messaging (custom)

Mobile cdta.org (custom)

iPhone Trip Planner (custom)

developer.cdta.org (custom)

store.cdta.org

Vendor Tracking (Munis module)

ServicesWithin this initiative there is a distinction made between those projects or initiatives we either develop or manage internally and those projects and initiatives which are managed externally, or so called “Software as a Service” (SaaS). The reason for this distinction is that the operational and sometimes cost considerations are very different with these projects. As an example to create and manage a Social Networking site that we post Video for user review and comment is a project that can be delivered through the use of existing social

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networking sites such as You Tube or Facebook. The operational considerations are fewer since these are hosted solutions that are publicly available and the only cost associated with it is related to employee time spent managing it.

With that distinction, the same core principles and competencies for Web 2.0 technologies still apply with respect to evaluation of these services. Specifically, as CDTA and the public’s use of these services grow, the service needs to grow. Due diligence needs to be completed for each service to ensure that it will be around for the foreseeable future so that we push these technologies and then forced to have to pull them back.

The following is a list of projected projects or service for the future:

Internal

Team workspaces

Project Management

Dashboards

Web Analytics

External

Email / Text Communication (Constant Contact, Gov Delivery, NY Alert)

You Tube – Video Channel

Facebook – Community Outreach

Twitter – Information dissemination

Purchase of fare media

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Initiative Details

Assessment and Development of Infrastructure Base

Establish on off-site data center

The Information Technology department is in the process of leasing datacenter space to host cdta.org and associated web applications. There are many reasons for this:

Power consumption/management at 110 Watervliet Avenue is an issue, especially as it relates to generator and Uninterruptable Power Supply (UPS) capacity. CDTA cannot guarantee 100% clean power.

Physical space in CDTA server rooms is nearing capacity. Currently, there is no way to efficiently and seamlessly connect systems and information from

back end CDTA systems to the public web site. Fire suppression systems in CDTA server space are inadequate. Climate control reliability cannot be guaranteed in CDTA server space. The information technology department is not staffed to be available 24 hours a day 7 days a

week for maintenance of a always available web infrastructure The current hosted solution allows for limited configuration changes

Once this setup of this data center space is completed the expected benefits will include:

Server space that will be able to grow with CDTA Systems will be directly managed and accessible to the IT staff allowing more flexibility Applications will be more easily integrated into back office systems

Owner: Christopher DesanyExpected Completion: May 15, 2009

Enterprise wide architecture review

An enterprise architecture review calls for using information captured in the Information Management Study and taking a step back and trying to review the big picture. This big picture view tries defining what current state of the architecture is, what systems exist, define the interaction between systems and people, identification of key systems, determine what works and what does not work effectively.

With the current state defined a future state can be defined separately which puts the current state in context. For example we have started to identify the following high level principals that we want to follow as an organization with respect to technology:

Security: applications should ensure data and access security Sensitive data must be protected in storage and in transit People should have single identity to all enterprise applications (single sign-on)

Ownership: clear and explicit ownership of enterprise data All enterprise level data should have a single identified system of record Systems should fulfill their custodial obligations for data they are the system of record for

Leverage assets: leverage existing services and capabilities Leverage capabilities in our existing investments where appropriate

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Accessibility: be aware of needs of all users (location & disabilities) Departmental and Enterprise applications should be accessible from anywhere Departmental and Enterprise applications should support accessibility standards

Real-time: Minimize latency of data updates Minimize latency of data updates

Standards: promote consistency using standards All new departmental and enterprise applications should adhere to recommended technical

standards

Web Based: promote the use of the web for all new applications User Interfaces should be lightweight and intuitive Applications should be developed for use on multiple devices Services should be used to maximize potential re-use

These are only a few of the initial principals that are being developed. When these principals are fully defined discovering strengths and weaknesses in the current state becomes clearer. With these strengths and weaknesses documented a road map can be defined to move CDTA to resolve weaknesses and if possible expand on strengths.

Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Disaster Recovery Initiative

What systems are scheduled for Fiscal Year 2009?

Owner: Thomas Guggisberg

Virtualization Initiative

The business value derived from virtualization includes the following:

Reduction in one-time and ongoing hardware acquisition costs Reduction in hardware-related maintenance costs Efficiency benefits from increased manageability Disaster Recovery enabled by removing need for homogenous hardware Help CDTA grow faster while keeping the IT staff constant Shrink data center footprint

Owner: Ernest Becker

Green Computing Initiative

What is scheduled for review for Fiscal Year 2009?What metrics that we are going to obtain and maintain?

Owner: TBD

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Assessment and Development of Information Base

Migrate and Redesign of cdta.org

This task covers the following high level tasks described in the Road Map.

Migration of cdta.org from hosted environment to offsite data center

Redesign of cdta.org information architecture

Redesign of cdta.org user interface (look and feel)

o Implementation of redesigned information architecture

o Update with current technology standards

The public web site CDTA.org with its 1 million+ hits is becoming or has become the public’s leading point of interaction with CDTA for information and services. Only the actually ridership on our vehicles outpace the number of times we have the opportunity to engage and influence our core customers.

The volume of information contained on the web site is extensive and has grown organically over the past five years since the site redesign. The amount of new information that is published to it on an on-going basis is growing and the speed in which the information changes is also increasing. Add to this the number of new services that have been added and are being planned and the overall site structure and architecture is starting to show it weakness.

A positive image among external stakeholders is important for transit properties to provide effective service to their riders. A myriad of techniques can be used to achieve these goals and many transit properties have used some very innovative tools to help support their vision.

Looking at web infrastructure is about more than aesthetics (although looks are important). Web sites can (and should) provide a host of information and services to riders, vendors, customers and media. Almost as important is its ability to provide CDTA with information and feedback. The success of a Web site can be looked at as an investment in terms of improving communication with a variety of audiences. Effective use of the web not only enhances communication in a bidirectional (even mesh based) fashion, it can reduce costs. A well defined strategic approach to utilizing the web as a tool for CDTA is critical to our ability to provide premier service to our customers.

There are two main goals with this project. The first is the migration of cdta.org from a hosted location to the off-site data center that is in progress. The second is a redesign of the site information architecture and user interface to allow for continued growth, ease of maintenance and providing customers with an engaging and positive experience.

The migration of web site from the hosted location to the off-site data center is primarily being driven by the following issues:

The inability to effectively connect internal systems to the web site Lack of control over the hardware and software setup, this leads to an inconsistency with the

overall systems architecture Planned services and applications that should be tightly integrated with the web site cannot be

due to capacity or system constraints at the hosted location

When the migration is complete the business value expected includes:

Seamless communication between web site and internal systems

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Standardized hardware and software Future capacity accommodations Management of future initiatives will be straight-forward and integrated with current infrastructure

The second goal the redesign of CDTA.org is the outcome of internal and external reviews of the current site. A review of the current site by external professional design firms determined following list of issues that need to be addressed.

Volume of information is dense and some information is presented in a disorganized manner, making it difficult for some users to find what they are looking for

Site is compartmentalized, the current structure makes it difficult for know what they are looking at. The site is lacking a structure that guides users to the right information

Logical flow of the information is fractured. Some information seems out place and one questions why items are placed in certain locations

The existing site design is outdated and does not complement CDTA’s contemporary position and brand.

o The color scheme is varied and softo The user of imagery and graphics the site lacks polish and in some cases does position

CDTA as a credible and successful business. Administrative capabilities is lacking and does not support ease of maintenance and integration

with back end systems

The following is a high level approach that was determined based on the review of cdta.org, review of other transit sites, and knowledge of industry best practices in site development.

Content Organizationo Content needs to be stream-lined and organizedo Structure needs to be straightforward and easy to navigateo Keep content brief on secondary pages

Create a credible, bold designo Enhance the user experience by elevating the look and creating a more credible and

professional web siteo Create cohesive core with a central focus and supporting areas of informationo Allow the content to the focal point

User-friendly updatabilityo Content needs to be managed and updated easilyo Allow for frequent site updates, throughout the entire site, while still keeping the design

and organization integrity of the site

Initial work was completed on the site redesign and information architecture, these can be found in Appendix A and Appendix B. CDTA currently has multiple designs (information and user interface) developed for implementation and is ready to start final design and implementation.

Owner: Christopher DesanyExpected Completion: September 01, 2009

Information Management Study

What initiatives are schedule for Fiscal Year 2009?

Owner: Thomas Guggisberg

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Implementation of Content Management System

The implementation of a Content Management System is directly related to the review of the public web site. A content management system will ensure that the site can be easily managed and updated while ensuring that design and organization of the site stays intact.

The following are some key benefits of a Content Management System taken from 10 Reasons Why You Should Choose Content Management Software .

A Convenient ApplicationContent Management Software is easy to use software that does not require its user to be a technical expert. This allows the website owners to edit their websites without the help of a web designer.

Faster UpgradingWith the constraint of relying upon technical assistance removed, web owners can upgrade or modify their websites at will. The best part of Content Management Software is that the websites can even be upgraded online. With the help of a CMS, without disabling the site, the upgraded content can be displayed in a matter of minutes.

Dynamic WebsitesContent Management Software changes the basic structure of a website. Unlike static web-pages, websites can now store large amounts of data, interact with other websites & update accordingly, display all sorts of animated, audio or video content.

Enhances AccessibilityA Content Management System CMS can store all content of a website in text form. This proves beneficial as any text typed on a search engine can quickly relate to the websites' content. Thereby, increasing accessibility to the website.

Restricted editingOn a CMS based website anyone can modify the content. In a professional website, CMS can restrict access for editing. The access to edit web content can be restrained in the hands of a selected few.

Auto UpgradingA CMS Content based website can be used as a forum. Here data can added in specific fields which automatically adds a new page to the website & even updates the menu on the home page.

Timing FeatureWith CMS Content Management, websites can be programmed to store & hide content to be displayed later. This hidden content is automatically displayed on the website on a pre-specified time & date.

Customized Content DisplayWith CMS, Professional websites can be programmed with a ‘login’ feature. Upon login the website identifies the user & accordingly displays the Content relevant to the user.

Internal Site SearchContent Management Software provides an internal search mechanism. This mechanism pulls out any specific information on the website without having to browse it completely.

Website CreationCMS is also used for creating websites. Because of its user friendly features dynamic websites can be created by using standard office applications.

These are only a few basic features of a standard Content Management Software. Various other advanced & beneficial features of a CMS make it economically viable & the most effective solution to almost all web related problems.

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http://contentmanagementsoftwares.net/why_content_management_software.htm

http://contentmanagementsoftwares.net/why_content_management_software.htm


For the CDTA migration, we do not assume to leverage all the features of a CMS outlined above because of cost and resource constraints. We do expect that many of the aforementioned features shall be evaluated and implemented.


Standardization of public messaging system

Effective communication with the public is vital to the mission of CDTA, but press releases, public meetings and even our web site only reach a certain sub-set of the public. Too effectively reach ridership and stakeholders with day-to-day information and urgent issues such as emergencies E-mail and text messages are the current standard.

E-mail is cost effective and is the most widely used interaction point for the public and the internet. 134 Million American adults use email, 51 million checking on a daily basis.

Business Justification

Business Value


Connectivity between external and internal systems

Business Justification

Business Value


Assessment and Development of Application and Services Base - InternalThe need for internal applications and services is an important one and increases employee ownership at all levels of the organization. As a core organizational objective increasing employee ownership ensures that employees feel invested in the continued success of CDTA as a whole. The creation of these types of applications also leads to a level of transparency for the organization that was always there but just not visible.

The following list of applications is not extensive but a first cut as what is all ready in development and what is proposed. A few are highlighted in this section.

Objective Tracking This application was the first custom web based application developed internally. This application simply captures departmental objectives and status. It is used by the executive director and departmental heads to track and manage individual employee’s yearly objectives by allowing the capturing of a running status

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and some displaying some simple dashboard metrics and reports The application can be found here http://app.cdta.org/objectivetracking or is accessible through the employee portal.

Business Owner: Chris DesanyTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Employee Self ServiceThe Employee Self Service is an off the shelf web application available from Tyler Technologies as an add-on to MUNIS. This application provides employees to view and in some cases interact directly with the information within MUNIS. The following is a list of some of the functionality that will be provided to all employees:

Access all relevant HR documents Ability to view and edit contact information, including address, telephone, email, dependents and

emergency contacts View details for each payroll check View Year to date pay and tax information View and Print W-2 View and Print W-4 Paycheck Simulator allows employees to see what changes to their deductions such as number

of exemptions will affect their taxes and take home pay. View all Training that has been completed

In the future using this application we may be able to deliver even more services to employees such as:

On-line timesheet entry and approval On-line benefits enrollment

Expected Roll Out: End of May 2009Business Owner: Kelli SchreivoglTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Contract ManagementThe need for a contract management system has been long in coming with the current system of manual tracking contracts, insurance and certifications through three different departments is unsustainable. The current process creates issues in the following areas:

Effective planning for the calendar year Duplication of administrative effort Redundant data and physical paper No clear planning leads to issues in planning resources and lead time required for renegotiation

and renewal Increased and liability in the following scenarios:

o Unnoticed insurance expiration. This would leave CDTA open to greater liability in the case of an insured incident.

o Automatic renewals of contract that have not been reviewed. This has the potential for cost increases that are missed or are not managed as expected.

o Contract negotiations can require large amounts of lead time, without the proper amount of notice for due diligence this has the potential for missed timelines or contracts that do not meet the business needs of company.

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http://app.cdta.org/objectivetracking


With contractual items covering liabilities totaling tens of millions of dollars ensuring these items are managed in a timely and efficient manner is crucial to CDTA operations and capital projects. When contractual items are not managed efficiently there is usually a negative impact to the business. These negative impacts range from financial/monetary ones to the amount of work required by employees to manage these items. The proposed solution will realized the following benefits:

Reduce potential organizational risk and liability o Ensuring there is one system of record for contracts will allow for centralized and more

complete planning and management by the Procurement department. Improved planning and management

o Giving access to this system to departments, project managers and other employees will allow them to better manage budgets and project plans.

o With the ability to look forward and plan for future work a more complete scope of work can be managed by Procurement

o By ensuring that management happens within one system departments should be better able to view budgetary impact of contract renewals which will enable them plan more accurate budgets

Streamline processo By consolidating the current administration to within one system the amount of

administrative time and overhead can be reduced o Whatever methods are currently used now to track this items will be eliminated and

replaced with the one system which will eliminate any current redundancy

Expected Roll Out: End of July 2009Business Owner: Stacy SanskyTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Learning Management System

A Learning Management System (LMS) is software for delivery, tracking and managing on-line computer based training. Student self-service (e.g., self-registration on instructor-led training), training workflow (e.g., user notification, manager approval, wait-list management), the provision of on-line learning (e.g., computer based training, read & understand), on-line assessment, management of continuous professional education (CPE), collaborative learning (e.g., application sharing, discussion threads), and training resource management (e.g., instructors, facilities, equipment), are dimensions to Learning Management Systems.

There is a push internally through the Maintenance and Training departments to move current in-person classroom training to computer based training specifically mandated training that needs to be completed by all employees. This ensures that the training is always available to new and existing employees and they do not need to wait for scheduled classroom based training. There is also a need to push paper based tests on-line to more effectively track employees’ continuing education and career advancement.

Expected Roll Out: Beginning of May 2009Business Owner: Steve Wacksman / Sarah ViolaTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Portal Expansion: Operations DepartmentThe field operations department has the need as many departments do to provide a central place in which departmental employees and interested parties can view related information. This is as extensive as:

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Department Mission Statement Procedures and Manuals Supervisor Manuals Notices Forms and Templates Project Proposals Reports and Summaries (Dashboard Metrics) Information Sharing

o Scheduled reports that are disseminated on a weekly or monthly basis Tracking of expenditures Simple workflow provided through on-line form submittal

The goal is to provide all this functionality through the current employee portal. By relying on the portal the following benefits are expected:

Ease maintenance of data and reduce amount of administrative overhead Provide high level roll up of statistics and the detailed data when needed Allow for the searching of documents and data

Expected Roll Out: May 2009Business Owner: Gary GuyTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Future Applications and ServicesThe following applications are in the early design or development phases but are expected to be completed within Fiscal Year 2009.

Claims and Accident Tracking Google Maps Planning Application Portal Expansion

o Field Operations Portalo Searchable Phone Booko Request Formso Document Managemento Project Work Space

Services - Internal

Team workspaces

Project Management

Dashboards

Web Analytics

Assessment and Development of Application and Services Base - Public

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Providing the public with applications and services that augments CDTA’s focus of getting passengers from point A to point B can drives an unprecedented level of interaction and participation among our customers and CDTA. The numbers show us that the people who want to use Web 2.0 will do so, and more people are gaining access. Phones for example are many people’s first interface with Web 2.0. Within a few years, smart phones will make up 50 percent of the cell phone market.

As we come to understand our customer’s use of technology more and as the next generation of riders comes to age, whose use and availability of this technology is almost an expectation, we expect that the types of applications and services we provide will change very rapidly. The following are applications and services that are in the development or planning phase; a few are highlighted in detail here.

Applicant TrackingThe hiring process is one of the first interactions potential employees have with the CDTA. How they are treated and ensuring that the quality of new hires is one of Human Resources most important roles. The current hiring process consists of paper based applications that are manually reviewed and responded to by multiple employees within Human Resources. The process has proven to be inconsistent over time in terms of the communication to potential new hires and leading them through the process. The inefficiencies in the process are exacerbated by the high level of volume which leads to a greater risk of unqualified individuals being hired which would lead to even greater cost to the business in terms of employee turnover.

The current process is almost completely manually and paper based in which applicants fill out applications which are then reviewed to ensure they contain all the proper information. If the application is acceptable then a post card is sent to the potential new hire to let them know it has been received or if information is missing. Some basic information about the applicant is captured in various electronic forms, none of which are consistently used through the process. The paper based application is the main source of information and is what is reviewed and followed up on. There is no history except in filed away applications so there is no way to tell if people have applied previously. Since the applications are manually reviewed there have been times when omitted information has been missed, this causes time and energy to be spent on people who should not have actually been followed up with, and instead they should have been notified of the missing information so they could have an opportunity to provide it.

Suffice it to say that the current process is floundering with inefficiency under the high volume of applications and the level of risk of hiring unqualified individuals is increasing.

Business Benefits Completely eliminate the paper based applications and move to electronic storage of information Eliminate the need to send postcards to applicants, this would be replaced with email

communications Eliminate the risk of something being missed on an application, since the applicant will not be

able to submit it until all required fields are filled. Reduce the amount of data entry currently needed to enter information into disparate systems

including MUNIS Will give a more complete picture of an employee from beginning of the Hiring process to

employment

Expected Roll Out: May 2009Business Owner: Kelli SchreivoglTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

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BlogA blog is a web-based application that allows people to post content (text, images, video, etc.) and allows others to comment or provide feedback to the posts or collaborate among themselves. CDTA wishes to use blogging as a tool to augment our other mechanisms for stakeholder outreach and communications (posting comments/complaints on the website, conducting public meetings, press releases, call centers, etc.). Blogging addresses gaps in these other tools in that it provides in increased sense of community and feedback that is otherwise difficult if not impossible. The transit industry is in fact a community. All of our ridership can now wear the hat of a critic, advocate, partner, salesperson, and promoter.

Expected Roll Out: CompletedBusiness Owner: Ray MelleadyTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Mobile Applications

As of March 2008 85% of the population in the United States owns a cell phone which equals 260 million cell phones.

Ninety percent of these cell phones have been purchased within the past 3 years and so are enabled with access to the internet. In fact it is estimated that more Internet-enabled phones will be sold and activated in 2009 that personal computers.

With the portability and accessibility provided by cell phones consumers are increasingly becoming more “connected” and the ability for consumers to have information literally at the fingertips when and where they need is only limited by a business’ ability to provide that information in a format that can be consumed by the numerous types of cell phones.

Within the public transportation sector the ability to provide customers with real time up to date information is a challenge that is solved either by expensive electronic real time signage or the creation of transportation hubs where all ridership is funneled and all information can be displayed to riders. A relatively inexpensive alternative to this is web accessible sites that are formatted to be browsed by mobile phones. Going even further by making route and scheduling information publicly available via the internet; applications can be built that use that data and customize it for a specific phones or type of phones.

One of the most popular phones today is the Apple iPhone with nearly 40 million phone sold in 2008 and for the past year has been the 2nd top selling phone within the United States, with the Motorola Razr V3 being the number one selling cell phone (also with Internet Access). The iPhone is an icon in the mobile phone industry; lots of new phones take much of their design from functionality first seen in the iPhone. To this end creating an application for this type of phone has as much to do with providing a necessary resource for customers as providing a certain level of public visibility between CDTA and an iconic technology.

The long range plan is provide a comprehensive set of applications to improve consumers experience and provide many points of interaction with CDTA. This was started with the web based trip planner available on CDTA.org. Another step in the process is the creation applications for mobile phones that provide access to the following types of customers (or potential customers):

People who have a sense for public transportation but they do not believe it is convenient. For existing customers who do currently ride CDTA, but would ride more if these services were

available.

For these groups of people who have mobile phones providing the following functionality would allow them to have CDTA information at their fingertips:

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Trip Planningo Use GPS to determine where you are relative to closest bus stops and give directions to

the stops.o Select a destination and time to receive a more detailed trip recommendation

List of Stopso By Region or Routeo Scheduled Times

Advisorieso Delays, can be based on NY Alert Feedo Mapso Static Maps

Expected Roll Out: August 2009Business Owner: Chris DesanyTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Next Bus Text Messaging As with Mobile Applications Text Messaging is quickly becoming something that in ubiquitous in many people lives. The idea by providing ridership with mobile communication and applications is to ensure that the information that they want is available wherever they are. The Next Bus text messaging service is a simple service where a customer sends an SMS text message via their cell phone (all cell phones can send text messages) to a central number with the bus stop’s unique identifier which is listed on each sign. A return message will then be sent that lists the next three times a bus is scheduled to be at that the stop.

Expected Roll Out: TBDBusiness Owner: Chris DesanyTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Public Notice and Communication (E-mail / Text)Effective communication with the public is vital to the mission of CDTA, but press releases, public meetings and even our web site only reach a certain sub-set of the public. To effectively reach ridership and stakeholders with day-to-day information and urgent issues such as emergencies E-mail and text messages are current standard.

E-mail is cost effective and is the most widely used interaction point for the public and the internet. 134 Million American adults use email, 51 million checking on a daily basis.

Expected Roll Out: TBDBusiness Owner: Business DevelopmentTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Social MediaSocial media is the driving force behind Web 2.0, the use of sites such as You Tube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr and Delicious is so pervasive these days that the General Services Administration recently signed agreements with many of these sites allowing Federal agencies to officially post content. It is has even been a part of the Presidents stated goals for the federal government to engage the public through the use of these social site.

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Expected Roll Out: TBDBusiness Owner: Chris DesanyTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Video

Broadband availability across the state, country, and the world has increased significantly in the last eight years. Streaming video has moved beyond short clips scattered on our favorite news website or social networking page, to becoming a valuable marketing tool. With the right technology, CDTA can reach out to its riders without ever having to leave the home or office.

Video can be accessed online after the live event (such as a board meeting) has ended, or after other video content has taken priority (available for archival purposes). The videos allow riders to access historical information, or to re-familiarize themselves with some of the “how-to’s” available in the videos.

While not a replacement for in-person stakeholder outreach meetings and presentations, video provides an additional level of flexibility in the approach…

Internal and external communicationso Communicate strategic goals

Employee training Marketing New service launches Stakeholder collaboration Rider information.

Currently, video content on CDTA.org is fragmented in its organization. CDTA needs to re-evaluate how this content is structured, and how utilization of YouTube formally fits in.

Business Owner: TBDTechnical Owner: Rich Fantozzi

Future Applications and ServicesThe following applications are in the early design or development phases but are expected to be completed within Fiscal Year 2009.

Applications

Mobile cdta.org (custom)

iPhone Trip Planner (custom)

developer.cdta.org (custom)

store.cdta.org

Vendor Tracking (munis)

Services

Email / Text Communication (Constant Contact, Gov Delivery, NY Alert)

You Tube – Video Channel

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Facebook – Community Outreach

Twitter – Information dissemination

RSS News Feeds

Operational ConsiderationsThe operational considerations for any and all of these initiative is extensive not only are there technical details that need to be worked out but many of these projects cut across many departments within the organization. These are some of the issues we need to review for each initiative:

Just because we can quickly deliver new features to users does not mean we should. We need to manage customer expectations and avoid creating confusion for the customer.

We should not underestimate the cost and effort necessary to achieve high levels of service availability (e.g., “five nines”). Reliability issues, any service-quality failures can lead to customer- and public-relations challenges. We need to match service level requirements to needs.

We must ensure that any data we gather from customers stays private and confidential. There is always tension between the desire to release an application or service early and the

reality of making a good first impression. This requires rigorous focus on feature prioritization—understanding what are most important—as well as ensuring that what is released is adequately functional and reliable.

The approach we should take is begin with selecting pilot projects so we can learn the process along the way.

Technical Support Marketing Communications

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References

Website Redesign in Other Transit Agencies Marketing Transit

http://www.masstransitmag.com/print/Mass-Transit/Marketing-Transit/1$2195 Gold Coast Transit's New Web Site Goes Live

http://www.prlog.org/10093024-gold-coast-transits-new-web-site-goes-live.html Metro Website Redesign

http://blog.fagstein.com/2009/01/23/metro-website-redesign/ Website Redesign as a Public Service

http://www.edtechpost.ca/wordpress/2007/01/31/website-redesign-as-a-public-service/ Hall Monitor: TTC Rolls Out New Website

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/toronto/archive/tags/public+transit/default.aspx Welcome to the new goHART.org!

http://www.hartline.org/ RTA’s new home in cyberspace getting rave reviews from transit users and Web surfers

http://www.riderta.com/nu_newsroom_releases.asp?listingid=840

CMS and Web Site Redesign Key Benefits Of Content Management

http://ezinearticles.com/?Key-Benefits-Of-Content-Management&id=472424 The Importance of Good Content on a Site

http://contentmanagementsoftwares.net/importance_of_content.htm 10 Reasons Why You Should Choose Content Management Software

http://contentmanagementsoftwares.net/why_content_management_software.htm Why every website needs a Content Management Software

http://contentmanagementsoftwares.net/every_website_needs_a_cms.htm 6 Steps for Website Redesigning

http://contentmanagementsoftwares.net/website_redesigning_tips.html

Government 2.0 Gov 2.0 guide

http://www.microsoft.com/industry/government/guides/Gov20.mspx

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Appendix A – Proposed CDTA.org Design

Brand Focus

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Information Focus

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Second Level Page

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Appendix B – Proposed CDTA.org Information Architecture

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