Minnesota DOT Upgrades Integrated TAMS in Streamlined Effort

Getting the latest functionality for a multi-module solution was a quick, efficient process.

Some agencies may dread the thought—let alone the effort—of undertaking a thorough system upgrade of an on-premise solution. Not Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). In a milestone accomplishment, the agency completed, in record time, a sweeping upgrade of multiple applications and third-party interfaces of its enterprise Transportation Asset Management System (TAMS)—all with minimal outside support, by leveraging the integrated AgileAssets platform.

In this latest upgrade feat, staff members from MnDOT’s Asset Management and Planning Office (AMPO) and Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) incorporated upgrade tasks into their regular job duties without changing their day-to-day priorities. Only occasionally did they ask for help from their AgileAssets Resident Client Success Manager, a full-time on-site resource who provides ongoing solution support.

After exactly 5 months of incremental effort, MnDOT went live with the multi-module, multi-interface upgrade, which provides new functionalities and improves cross-team operations and efficiency, saving MnDOT time and money.

An Up-Close Perspective

Faris Al Saeedi, the AgileAssets employee who since 2019 has served as MnDOT’s Senior Resident Client Success Manager, provided an up-close perspective on MnDOT’s most recent upgrade success in the Q&A below.

What is your role as Senior Resident Client Success Manager?

I provide day-to-day, on-site support to help MnDOT users get the most from their AgileAssets solution. Every day is different, as I juggle a lot of projects. Some days, I might spend mostly addressing user requests and resolving issues; on other days, I provide ad hoc training, do basic configuration, or assist with complex reports. I’m also the go-to person who connects MnDOT with specialized AgileAssets teams that can solve the more complex problems that might arise. Faris Al Saeedi Headshot

Faris Al Saeedi, AgileAssets Senior Resident Client Success Manager, provides full-time, on-site support at Minnesota DOT.

An Always-Evolving Integrated Solution

Tell us about MnDOT’s Transportation Asset Management System.

Since 2015, MnDOT has been acquiring, using, and fine-tuning a collection of AgileAssets modules that MnDOT users call the Transportation Asset Management System (TAMS). Together, the AgileAssets modules in the TAMS provide a holistic solution that helps MnDOT manage and maintain more than 1,000,000 infrastructure assets statewide. For example, to manage traffic signs, signals, guardrails, and many other roadway assets, MnDOT leverages the interoperability, advanced analytics, and mobile capabilities of integrated AgileAssets modules in the TAMS to improve safety and operations. In turn, this helps the agency save time and money.

Which AgileAssets modules are in MnDOT’s TAMS?

MnDOT uses a number of integrated AgileAssets products, including Maintenance Manager™, an advanced maintenance management system; Work Manager™, a companion mobile application designed specifically for field crews; Sign Manager™ , a web application specifically for managing traffic signs; Signal and ITS Manager™, a similar web application for traffic signals and intelligent transportation system devices; as well as interfaces between the AgileAssets solutions and Esri^® Roads and Highways linear referencing system and the Esri Collector mobile application for additional data inputs.

MnDOT’s Upgrade Project

What were the goals and outcomes of MnDOT’s most recent upgrade?

MnDOT wanted to get access to the most current functionality for the AgileAssets web and mobile applications that comprise the TAMS, including the latest AgileAssets reporting capabilities with the most advanced dashboards and interactive reports. Upgrading to the most current software version helps the agency be more efficient, so MnDOT saves time, effort, and money that they can then use on other major tasks.

Staying up to date with the latest software release also means MnDOT will have the strongest system security, and old bugs will be fully resolved.

The MnDOT team upgraded the TAMS from AgileAssets version 7.5.5.1 to version 7.6.1. Now, the relevant MnDOT teams will benefit from much better workflows because they can access the latest features and functions of all the upgraded AgileAssets modules.

What was special about this upgrade process?

Often, agencies struggle with system upgrades and find them very disruptive. Agencies often rely on many outside sources of help for their upgrade efforts, which can be costly and time-consuming.

For MnDOT, this was the first upgrade where they accomplished all their goals in-house, with very little assistance from AgileAssets. The MnDOT business users committed to performing the deployment and quality assurance testing of the upgraded software alongside their day-to-day tasks. MnDOT users did an excellent job, and they will reap the lasting benefits in terms of superior system performance, security, and operational efficiency.