Getting Down & Dirty with Data

Depending on who you talk to, data is killing everyone’s jobs, creating better jobs, and/or revolutionizing everything from food production to sports to medicine. Is there anything data won’t do?

Data is the hottest topic in just about every industry, and transportation is no different.

As we wrestle with the implications of turning our every move into data and leveraging it for greater efficiency, here are my TOP 10 takes on how transportation agencies can best make use of this vital resource:

1.  Know what you are doing with your data: Just because you’re sitting on a wealth of data doesn’t mean you have everything you need to succeed. If you don’t know how you’re using your data—whether to develop insights or sell on to a third party—you might as well not have it at all.
2. Consider new opportunities for monetization: The large and diverse data sets collected by smart cities have endless possibilities for monetization. Whether it’s licensing third parties to create mirrors of your data sets or charging for value-added services, transportation data can become a significant revenue stream for agencies and cities.
3. Know your limits: You do not need to know every detail about your passengers or customers. While I will never argue against using data to develop better services, there is definitely such a thing as too much data. Determining what data you need to reach your goals (and what you don’t) is key to maintaining consumer trust and building efficient systems.
4. Break down silos: In any given smart city, various systems could be in place to collect data from traffic lights, vehicles, parking meters, and streetlights. If each of these systems is siloed without bringing the information together in a single hub, you could be missing opportunities to create greater efficiencies across multiple services. Your systems must be set up to allow data to move freely.
5. Build new partnerships: When companies or organizations are secretive with their data, nobody wins. Partnerships like the consortium recently formed in Miami help to amplify the impact of each player’s data, creating a whole that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
6. Prepare for new regulations: With Game of Thrones over, it’s no longer Winter is Coming; instead, Regulation is Coming. Transportation agencies should make the effort now to get out in front of new legislation. Establishing best practices for data collection and storage will protect organizations from having to catch up to the requirements of new laws and regulations.
7. Create more data points: While cities need to be wary of collecting too much data from their residents and consumers, there is theoretically no limit to the data they can be collecting from their infrastructure. When it comes to installing Internet of Things sensors in a smart city, bigger is better. A thorough, holistic system of IoT sensors can result in an improved quality of life for your residents.
8. Plan your ripple effect: The decisions you make regarding data collection and analysis will inevitably reverberate throughout your community: collecting data from traffic lights will enable you to improve traffic management, improving your city’s reputation among commuters and possibly resulting in new companies moving to your city. When considering an investment in smart technology, take the time to think several steps ahead and anticipate the possible results.
9. Setting our levels: In my opinion, the most pressing issue facing the transportation industry as it relates to data is determining how much we need to achieve our ambitious goals. Transportation agencies, private partners and consumers themselves should be engaged in a constructive dialogue to establish what data is needed and why. Open communication and trust will go a long way towards creating an informed, well-planned transportation ecosystem.
10. Build the system (and the system of systems): Proper planning for data management comes from the top-down, rather than from the bottom-up. Create your systems based on how you will use your data, and before that, create a system to monitor and integrate your various data collection infrastructures.

Getting too deep in the weeds with data is enough to make your head spin, however, we all need to do our part to maximize the returns on our information.

 How are you collaborating with others to leverage data in your work?