03 Planning Integrated ITS Deployments
The FRAME Architecture is intended to be used to help the planning and deployment of integrated ITS for a region over a period of time (see diagram below). An ITS Architecture is created for that region to show what is required. Often some of the required ITS applications and services exist already, and in this situation the ITS Architecture will show what is needed and how it should be integrated to the existing equipment. Then, in each financial period, a set of new applications or services can be chosen for deployment, and the System Requirements Specification and the Test Specification parts of a Call for Tender can be written using the descriptions obtained from the relevant parts of the ITS Architecture.
A second way of considering the planning process is shown in the waterfall lifecycle below, which shows the tasks to be performed and who performs them. This shows that a typical ITS deployment can be a two stage process. In the first stage a local authority or road operator produces a Call for Tender. In the second stage the company that wins the contract develops and deploys the equipment. An ITS Architecture is created during the first stage and is used to provide many of the details of the Call for Tender.
Note - an ITS Architect is an ITS Engineer with a knowledge of ITS Architecture
A third way of considering the planning process is shown in the diagram below.
The process begins with the various stakeholder stating what they want from the ITS deployment in a set of Stakeholder Aspirations.
Once an ITS Architecture has been created various issues can be studied and products created as follows:
- System Boundary – Shows what is provided by the system and what is not, and the relationship between the System and the parts of its environment with which it interacts (see also The FRAME Model)
- Component Specifications and Communications Requirements – for Calls for Tender
- Deployment programme – the plan for he deployment of equipment and communication. This includes what to do with existing systems and equipment
- Organisational Viewpoint – who owns and/or manages and/or operates each part of the integrated system (see also How can you identify Organisational Issues)
- Cost/Benefits Study – the costs and the expected benefits of the ITS deployment (see also How can you undertake a Cost/Benefit Analysis?)
- Risk Analysis – deployment hazards, their risks and possible mitigations (see also How can you undertake a Risk Analysis?)
Further Reading
Many Languages, One Voice from Thinking Highways Vol 6 No 1, May-April 2011