NDMC Delivers Stakeholder Outcomes While Displacing a Costly Legacy System For Telent

 

THE MIDLANDS, UK

The aging Mattisse traffic information system  presented the management team of Telent with a major issue:  Did they invest their cash into propping up an aging and unpopular database system, or should they work out a way to deliver the capabilities users and stakeholders were demanding? 

Mattisse system showing multiple CCTV traffic views in Birmingham
Matisse system showing mapped locations of roadworks

The Problem

Matisse is the core incident management and information system supplying services across the West Midlands serving 9 local authorities.   A transport and travel. The system is used by the traffic management, fire and rescue, transport planners, traveling public and recreational users in a wide geographic area and covers urban, suburban and countryside road and street networks, inter-urban expressways, public bus, train, cycle and freight networks and public parking.

The system created a number of challenges for the pan-regional management team including:

  • The existing Consumed almost 100% of annual budget on maintenance alone
  • No resource for improvements
  • New users and uses not accommodated
  • Old, client-based architecture
  • Slow, did not support personal efficiency

Using Encanvas, a pan-regional transport control and information system was re-developed by NDMC.  Encanvas was chosen as the underpinning technology as it presented the best risk:cost scenario under which to develop the new Mattisse system.

The Solution

  • Team development – but with low time overhead or risks for customer
  • Affordability to achieve stakeholder outcomes and systems refresh in a single project.  New data structures and application modules were created to give the tired legacy system a complete face-lift.
  • Minimized the risk of failure:

    • Standard, robust technology (Microsoft)
    • Quick proof-of-concepts
    • User-driven development
    • Rapid iteration
    • Some proven elements/technologies
    • Met timelines

The Results

The new system takes feeds from…

  • Direct input
  • Legacy databases
  • Dynamic sources
    • CCTV cameras
    • Vehicle onboard transmitters
    • Dynamic highway information systems (VMS)

…and displays information as

  • Maps (GIS)
  • Tables
  • Schedules
  • Information displays
  • Data services/exports
  • ROI 100% 100%
  • Customer Experience (and Goodwill) 100% 100%
  • Operational Economies 100% 100%