While COVID-19 has stress tested the resiliency of public transportation networks, some experts believe that the pandemic will accelerate — rather than impede — the role of technology in supporting transit and other public infrastructure. But are all innovations created equal? When should public agencies embrace new technological tools — and when should they steer clear?
To answer that question, agencies should shift their focus away from the proposed technologies themselves, and instead look inward. Aligning on organizational mission and vision, setting tangible success outcomes, establishing the input of each department in achieving these outcomes — these actions are critical preparation before adopting any new technology.
Before building a house, you’ve got to have a blueprint.
And once those elements are established, public agencies should approach new technologies with the following questions in mind:
- Does this innovation impede our ability to remain financially sustainable in the coming months and years?
- Does this new piece of tech make us a stronger participant in our community? Is it making our community value increase, decrease, or stay the same?
- Does this technology improve our customer experience in a real, tangible way — beyond the marketing pitch? Is the interface easy to use? Is it buggy or slow to load? Is it responsive? Does it often crash?
- How does this new technology affect the way our employees engage with their jobs? Does it make their daily tasks more efficient? Does it make them happy to continue working here?
New digital tools — particularly those designed to collect real-time data — are poised to make a huge positive impact on public transportation worldwide. But before joining in the technology gold rush, agencies should pause to align on what outcomes they’re trying to achieve — and whether alluring new technologies are offering clearer focus on those outcomes or threatening to knock them off course.
