Investigation of the Development and Use of a Concept of Operations in Traffic Management Systems

Abstract

The purpose of this research effort was to identify benefits provided by a concept of operations in the life-cycle of a transportation management system (TMS) and to identify best practices in the development and use of the concept of operations for TMSs. Experience has shown that the systems engineering process is well suited for the complex nature of the contemporary TMS. The foundation of the systems engineering process is the concept of operations, a high-level, nontechnical document focusing vision and goals for all aspects of a system that are necessary for operation in such a way that a diverse audience will fully understand what the system will do. The research surveyed current practice in TMS applications and compared this with concept-of-operations standards from the industry. Key findings of the research include the following recommendations and best practices for development and use of the concept of operations for TMSs: (a) stakeholder communication and involvement in system development is the main benefit from the concept-of-operations development process; (b) when the system development team is created, owners of the system should begin compiling the team of stakeholders immediately and focus on those who will be responsible for using the system; (c) recommended practices for improving readability of the documents include minimizing technical jargon and frequent and effective use of graphics; and (d) operational scenarios should be developed and extensively used in the concept-of-operations document. A concept of operations is dynamic and useful throughout the entire life-cycle of the system, providing guidance for all stages of system development.