Success Story: TfNSW Multi-Modal Performance Reporting Program
Agile Analytics helps TfNSW harness the power of data to improve customer services across NSW
Transport for NSW uses the Microsoft modern data platform and analytics to harness the power of data to improve customer services across the NSW buses, ferry, Sydney Metro, and light rail.
Executive summary
Transport is a state government enterprise responsible for delivering safe, integrated and efficient transport systems to the people of NSW. It provides Bus, Ferry, Light Rail, Metro and Rail services across metropolitan and rural areas. Most services are provided by private operators working under contract. These operators have performance measures to meet and these need to be monitored. Transport is in early stages of executing its Future Transport 2056 Strategy with a planned budget of $41.5 billion.
Sandeep Mathur, Program Manager and Non-Executive Director explains that “Multi-Modal Performance Reporting Program is one of the first programs to harness the power of data to improve customer services and manage the performance of Bus, Ferry, Light Rail and Metro operators”. As well as monitoring performance, the program gives Transport better insights into how services are being provided, with the ability to forensically deep dive into the details where there are issues so that they can work with the operators to improve services for the NSW public.
Our Approach
Agile Analytics is an Australia based Microsoft Gold Partner specialising in delivering data solutions to the Australian and international market on the Microsoft Azure Data Platform.
Iman Eftekhari, Owner and Director of Agile Analytics explains: “Our aim is to help organisations take advantage of the modern data platform to gain better insights into their business and drive a culture of data-driven decision making. The Microsoft Azure platform and Power BI gives us the tools we need to achieve this.”
He adds: “We believe that starting small such as a discovery workshop, can help to understand the requirements and define a roadmap to implement the solution. Using an Agile method and our consulting offers such as data insights, we provide an iterative approach to focus on building an end-to-end solution for one business problem at a time.”
Choosing the Right Tool: Microsoft Azure Data Platform
As a large government department, Transport use a large array of data tools. Before the program commenced, they carried out an extensive evaluation of the best tools available. The Microsoft Azure data platform was selected. Azure Data Warehouse houses their Operational Data Lake, Azure Data Factory is used for data ingestion and orchestration, Azure Analysis Services is used to build the analytical models and Power BI was chosen as the reporting and analytics tool. The platform can ingest data arriving from IoT devices on ferries and vehicles as well as overnight feeds from operators.
Sandeep Mathur observed that “I find the Big Data technology is evolving fast and Microsoft as an organization has provided great support to our Program. For analytics and reporting, we have both data at-rest and in-motion and Azure-based solution is scaling really well for us”.
Data Insights Helps to Improve the Operational Performance
As a result, Transport teams are able to evaluate the performance of each operator, to understand what is happening on the network on any day. They can identify any endemic issues and work with operators to resolve them. They have the ability to drill down to every trip and every stop, to inform conversations with operators based on full transparency. All the dashboards are being shared with respective Operators which gives full transparency to whether the operational performance is meeting contractual obligations, as well as identifying areas of improvement.
Iman Eftekhari says “The Microsoft Azure data platform and Power BI gives us the ability to have a big data solution, ingesting millions of data points a day – sometimes arriving in 10 second intervals. This allows us to drill down onto the finest grain, where we can see every stop of every trip. This is a very powerful tool for managing and improving the public transport service that Transport for NSW provides”.
Outcomes
- All data has been integrated on one model with live connection; no more crossing systems to connect to data from various source
- The Contract Management team and the operators can now have meaningful conversations based on shareable data insights that are available on a user-friendly and interactive platform
- The operators and managers are able to view the dashboards to analyse their own performance and against set benchmark
- Data insights are now available on a user friendly and interactive platform for all staff and bus operators
Fully Built on Azure
Azure Data Lake
Azure Data Warehouse
Azure SQL DB
Azure Analysis Services
Azure Data Factory
Power BI
“I find the Big Data technology is evolving fast and Microsoft as an organization has provided great support to our Program. For analytics and reporting, we have both data at-rest and in-motion and Azure-based solution is scaling really well for us”.
Read the full story on the Microsoft website
