November 2021 – On questions of this type the management of Administration and maintenance of the Trnava self-governing region (AMTTSK) has completely accurate answers. It knows the load of each employee, vehicle or machine in all areas of the Trnava region.
After four years of operating electronic dispatching, it has an extensive database of operational data. Using business intelligence, i.e. automated managerial calculations, statistics, reports and analyses, they continue to obtain data to increase the efficiency for the functionality of the organization and to better their services.
Business intelligence, wisdom hidden in data
“Business intelligence, an in depth view into what is happening in an organization, who is doing what, when, how, when and with what consequences, costs and context, is possible only after several years of electronic management. Only then the gathered data begin to show consistent events and processes, which need to be improved, potentially weak areas, or on the other hand areas that are overloaded or undersized,” the technical director of YMS, Marek Ivaňák explains the long-term intention behind the electronic administration and maintenance of roads.
Where to begin?
To work your way to the point of useful business intelligence means first creating a digital organization that performs and electronically records only value-added activities. “In the case of AMTTSK we implemented a complete audit process in the year 2017. During the next two years, first during winter and then during summer maintenance, electronic processes were defined, including warehouse management. All work processes without added value unnecessary paperwork, especially reporting, which is only done online now, and is for the most part automated, were eliminated. This means that while working in the terrain, the employee documents operations, and operation times to their mobile devices. The timesheet is generated and saved automatically and on top of that the dispatcher at the center has an immediate overview of what is happening that day,” continues Tomáš Mišovič, the project manager for the YMS electronic dispatching project.
Everyday practice
AMTTSK uses the data from business intelligence, which is built on the solution Power B from the company Microsoft, in many ways. With the help of in-depth operational analysis at every center they can, for example, regularly compare the administration of individual centers between regions and establish a long-term benchmarking system. “They can very easily answer, for example, seasonal questions regarding the usage of machines or spreading material. For instance, why one area regularly uses this much more salt than elsewhere, how many kilograms is spread on m2 and is this amount in the benchmark of allowed norms. Furthermore, they have an overview of the use of vehicles, machines and people based on the zone and on individual work performance. They can precisely check the capacity allocation and make effective decisions, such as the need to lease machinery to cover seasonal operational fluctuations. Just the constant activity overview in real-time, especially during maintenance-intensive periods, is a huge benefit,” Tomáš Mišovič clarifies the topic in more depth.
Technical complexity
In the case of road management and maintenance, it is a system that collects data from various sources, processes it, and clearly presents it in a form of a central dispatching screen. AMTTSK has independently been testing several different types of mobile devices, which simplifies the registration of work on the road and contributes to the fact that the dispatcher has an overview of what is happening in real-time. At the same time, the system is connected to weather sensors, so-called meteo sensors. Data from meteo sensors is fed to the dispatching based on what the center intends to do with it. “They can be automatic notifications when the weather changes, for example when it starts to snow, so it is possible to react immediately. Or they could measure the temperature of the area, road surface and the like. The manner in which the data is used is always up to the client and their needs because in today’s world it is possible to monitor literally anything,” explains Mišovič.
Data for third parties
Having up-to-date information in your hands means regularly and flexibly informing stakeholders and the public about what is happening on the roads. “The connections to mobile phones and meteorological sensors means that dispatching always know exactly where it is necessary, for example in a time of heavy snowfall, to intensively shovel snow and spread anti-skid material. Therefore, even in the case of questions or complaints, they can immediately and accurately answer, where and how much was spread, how often and how intensively roads are being maintained in a certain area,” concludes Tomáš Mišovič.
The decision to transform into an electronic organisation is the first step necessary on the path to a better use of resources and to better services. After that follows work to set up the system so that it collects all the necessary operating data long-term. After several years the real benefits will start showing, a truly in-depth view into every nook and cranny of an organization and from it possible opportunities for improvement.Marek IvaňákTechnical director of YMS
We began building the electronic dispatching for AMTTSK in the year 2017, when the first stage of development was launched, the electronic management of winter maintenance. A year later followed the electronic management of summer maintenance, which also included warehousing. Subsequently in 2019, mobile testing occurred in selected centers. From 2020 all the operations on the roads of the Trnava region are being recorded electronically through mobile devices and dispatchers and managers have several tools to instantly have an overview about what operations are being carried out, who is carrying them out and where and how long it took them to carry it out and what tools they used. All the data from the last year and a half are therefore electronic, verifiable and verified.