Applying Transportation Asset Management to Traffic Signals: A Primer

Chapter 4. Management Systems for Assets

A management system is a critical component of an overall successful asset management program, assisting the agency in managing and maintaining asset data across the entire lifecycle of its assets, from acquisition to disposal. A management system may be a software system, a procedure, or a simple tool (e.g., spreadsheet) depending on the level of detail that is appropriate.

FHWA TAMP Elements: Summary Listing of Assets, Lifecycle Planning, Performance Gap Analysis, Risk Management, Financial Planning, Investment Strategies (23 CFR 515.7(a)-(e), 515.9(b)-(c), and 515.9(f))

A management system supports multiple components of an agency’s asset management program. The foundation of a system starts with good asset data and an accurate asset inventory. This theme is extrapolated from various TAMP elements, but most critically the asset identification element. When adopting or building out the agency’s traffic signal asset management program, ensuring the right asset data are defined, collected, and tracked is essential for further development and adoption of the additional elements discussed in this primer.

When considering a management system, an agency should consider:

System Functionality—What information management and decisionmaking assistance is desired?
Location-Specific Functionality—How is asset location information stored?
System Interfaces and Integrations—What relationships to other agency systems are needed for sharing information?
System Implementation and Adoption—What needs should be considered to achieve a successful and long-lasting implementation?

System Functionality

System functionality covers the critical aspects of the asset management spectrum such as inventory, condition, work management, and materials management. Table 3 describes common functionalities as the basis for good asset management decisionmaking. Although 23 CFR 515.17 describes minimum standards for developing and operating bridge and pavement management systems, no requirements exist for management systems for traffic signal assets. This chapter focuses on the characteristics and benefits of a management system to support decisionmaking. Many of the principles are aligned with the minimum requirements in 23 CFR 515.17 for pavement and bridge management systems, but section 515.17 does not define requirements for traffic signals.

Table 3. Potential functionality of management systems for traffic signal assets.
Functionality	Brief Description
Asset Identification	Supports foundational data structure and data management, including processing, storing, and updating inventory data owned, managed, and maintained by the agency.
Asset Condition	Process, store, and update condition data. Usually based on basic condition scoring criteria for each asset class and type using a condition rating scale (e.g., standard 1 to 5 scoring).
Workplanning and Management	Supports the planning, scheduling, management, and tracking of various maintenance management activities performed on the assets and tracking and costing of work performed. Recommending programs and implementation schedules to manage the asset condition within policy and budget constraints.
Materials Management	Track and manage parts used to support asset management, including warehouse storage and items used during work management.
Warranty Management	Identify asset warranties, including the warranty terms and the party responsible for warranty service.
Planning and Budgeting	Capability to calculate and analyze costs associated with the operation and maintenance of assets, supporting long-term lifecycle planning and capital programming efforts. Likely to include forecasting deterioration of assets, assessing the benefit/cost over the lifecycle of assets to evaluate alternative actions (including no action decisions) for managing the condition, identifying short- and long-term budget needs for managing the condition.
Modeling Analytics	Identify priorities and targets for the various asset classes, types, and maintenance features—minimizing maintenance cost and optimizing asset utilization. Determining the strategies for identifying projects that maximize overall program benefits within the financial constraints.
Management Reporting	Generate and distribute reports and display dashboards and metrics for conveying asset management outcomes.

Location-Specific Functionality

Agencies may use geographic information systems (GIS) and cloud-based, automated systems to identify and track assets. For example, some agencies have an integrated asset inventory with GIS that captures geographic information and assigns attributes (such as cabinet types or attached devices) to help inform future decisions for assets. Other agencies focus on providing a cloud-based, self-service tool for local agencies to manage traffic signals and share data through a centralized, GIS-compatible platform.

System Interfaces and Integrations

Management systems are more effective when they interface with other key enterprise systems, including an enterprise resource planning system (specifically for financial and human resource needs), document management, procurement/third-party contract monitoring, and various operation-based and monitoring systems. Most agencies have multiple information technology (IT) systems to manage, maintain, and operate their assets; each agency should ensure that its systems are properly integrated and sharing appropriate data. Many agencies noted that this can be difficult because systems often are added in isolation and are not properly linked. As a result, data in one system does not match the data in another, users must log into multiple systems to get the information, and the agency does not have a single source of record for its assets.

Several agencies identified a challenge with asset management and maintenance management software programs not being able to “talk” to each other, which may result in duplicate data, the inability to pull comprehensive data queries, and uncoordinated maintenance treatment plans. Agencies also should introduce tools that are easy to use in the field; tools and processes should be well-understood by the technicians, who need to know what the tools measure and why that data is being collected. Other agencies noted that the key to tracking information is to keep it simple, otherwise, employees will likely not input the information. Further, documenting copious amounts of information can overburden crews and may result in sporadic updates to the asset record.

System Implementation and Adoption

When implementing a new software system or an approach to collecting asset data, normally it is best to introduce the tool and process iteratively across the agency. Some agencies have been using a dedicated asset management software system to manage only their traffic signals. These tools typically have traffic signal specific features, such as inventorying the assets by location/intersection and tracking traffic signal performance measures. With that said, it can be cumbersome to use these asset-specific systems in conjunction with other agency-wide tools. As such, many agencies are looking to improve and advance their management systems, including consolidating their tools and/or broadening the features/functionality so the systems can be used for other asset classes.

Connecticut DOT started using its traffic signal energy consumption tracking tool (a Structured Query Language (SQL) database) to track asset-related data for traffic signals as well. This adoption was a natural progression for the agency: it saw a gap in data, the field was added to its database, and data started being collected. This approach and typically results in the least amount of push-back, because stakeholders are slowly introduced to the new process.

Implementing Management Systems—Connecticut DOT

To advance asset management practice in the organization, Connecticut DOT’s TAMP includes five additional assets beyond the Federal statutory requirements: traffic signals, signs, sign supports, pavement markings, and highway buildings. Connecticut DOT’s TAMP establishes a process for tracking and recording its assets’ inventory and condition.

To include within the TAMP an inventory of traffic signals, Connecticut DOT used a traffic signal database initially designed for operational purposes to track power consumption as the basis for billing for power. Data are stored in an SQL database with a Microsoft Access front end for data entry and viewing. The database has been expanded over time to store locations, signal type, ownership, maintenance responsibility, estimated energy use, pedestrian features, lamp type, and other attributes. Connecticut DOT notes that they are exploring conversion to a more robust database and collecting additional traffic signal details, now that the agency relies on the database for more asset management planning purposes.

Connecticut DOT has been specifically intentional when identifying which attributes it collects and tracks for its traffic signals. The agency’s Traffic Safety Group recently conducted a study on the safety of critical traffic signals. Although the study’s purpose was to assess the safety impacts of these traffic signals, it was determined there would be a benefit to collecting additional traffic signal data under the study beyond what was currently being tracked in the inventory, including type of span configuration, number of artery signal heads, presence of artery detection, left-turn phasing on artery, and left-turn phasing on side street. The agency saw an opportunity to repurpose the data for future asset management related needs. As a follow-on to this effort, Connecticut DOT is identifying additional, more pertinent attributes to track for enhanced management of traffic signals.

(Source: Connecticut Department of Transportation 2019.)

Adopting New Management Systems—Minnesota DOT

Minnesota DOT recently implemented a new asset management software system, for both traffic signals and ITS assets, and reported positive feedback and adoption since the release. Although the new system has only been in place since 2018, Minnesota DOT already noted it is extracting good data and findings from the system, to help with lifecycle cost and maintenance planning.

This effort was several years in the making. Like many agencies, Minnesota DOT was challenged at collecting and tracking its asset data consistently and comprehensively across all asset departments. With the increasing importance of asset management for additional assets outside of bridges and pavements, Minnesota DOT knew it would be important to purchase and implement a more robust management system. Signals and ITS assets were the first assets onboarded to the new system.

Reasons for the implementation’s success included:

Implementation Team Support—Minnesota DOT allowed the system implementer to be heavily involved throughout the entire process, allowing for this through procurement. Finding the right implementer was key.
Dedicated Internal Resources—Recognizing the need to have internal employees lead and oversee system implementation, Minnesota DOT included this as part of its system implementation budget.
Stakeholder Involvement—Minnesota DOT made sure to involve all stakeholders and future users, across departments, in system decisionmaking.
System Interfaces—The IT department was heavily involved, to ensure proper onboarding, implementation, and interfaces were set up across already existing systems from the outset. Minnesota DOT noted the importance of involving its technicians, the individuals using the system daily. This also included identifying system champions, who took pride in the new system, understood its benefit, and wanted to see widespread adoption across the agency.
Reporting for Monitoring—Because of the seamless interface and process link between accounting (timesheets) and the maintenance management system, the asset management team was able to get weekly reports on whether work on asset maintenance was being linked to the specific asset. Team members were then able to follow up with individuals (using dedicated internal resources) to work out why this was not happening and improve behaviors.

(Source: Minnesota Department of Transportation 2019.)

Key Actions

Agencies can adopt or improve upon the following key actions when implementing a management system for traffic signals: identifying system requirements and developing a stakeholder engagement plan.

Identify Management System Requirements, Gaps, and Interfaces

Before adopting a management system for traffic signals, the agency should review the current landscape of its asset and asset-related systems. This ultimately will help identify any systems that could be repurposed for traffic signals and identify systems that may be out-of-date. Further, this will help identify how assets and asset-related technology and information will drive more efficient and effective decisions and management actions through the asset’s lifecycle—establishing both the landscape of information that needs to be made available and the functional requirements for technology to support full use of the information.

Key Steps:

Seek feedback from employees who will be expected to use the system. Include how employees are using any current systems, what problems they are experiencing with those systems, and what functionality they would like to see in a new/upgraded system.
Identify all existing systems and interfaces that are used to manage, maintain, monitor, and/or operate the agency’s assets. Document current and/or potential interfaces, both automated and manual.
Develop a list of requirements based on the feedback from step 1 and interface needs from step 2. This will allow the agency to better understand the state of its TAM systems and will allow the agency to be more proactive when looking to: (a) identify a new system; (b) upgrade its current system; or (c) build or continue to enhance a system internally.

Develop a Stakeholder Engagement Plan for System Implementation

Although an external system implementer can ultimately help lead the agency’s implementation of a new or updated management system, the agency should carefully consider related cultural and institutional changes. Developing a plan that outlines how various system stakeholders will be involved throughout the implementation plan (or a Stakeholder Engagement Plan), can improve overall adoption.

Key Steps:

Put in place an internal steering and/or technical committee to oversee system implementation. This committee should review progress, system onboarding, and integration within the agency’s overall network. The committee should be made up of a variety of individuals holding different roles across the agency (e.g., maintenance technicians, operational employees, supervisors, senior management, and information technology).
Identify and ensure the implementation of a pilot that focuses on a specific asset class/type or a specific region. Start small and do not try to address all assets right away. The agency should also only focus on a limited number of asset data attributes.
Meet regularly to collect feedback (e.g., two to six times a year) with both frequent and infrequent users. This will not only help improve the pilot but also future growth of the system (e.g., additional asset classes and additional attributes).

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