Uses of Mobile Information Technology Devices in the Field for Design, Construction, and Asset Management (2016)

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10 CHAPTER TWO MOBILE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEVICES AND APPLICATIONS SELECTION AND TYPES OF MOBILE DEVICES For this project, mobile IT devices are defined as handheld technologies that can improve work tasks through a digital platform—devices such as smartphones, laptops, and tab- lets. Mobile or truck-mounted LiDAR and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are not considered because they are not handheld devices. The types of mobile devices used at STAs are chosen by both IT departments and end users; 97% of survey respon- dents said that IT professionals are involved in the selection of devices, whereas 86% of end users are involved (Figure 8). The parties most affected by mobile IT decisions are the people who manage the purchasing, deployment, and main- tenance of the devices (IT) and the ultimate end users in design, construction, and asset management. Many states involve all of those parties in choosing devices. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 IT professionals End users Purchasing agents Other What parties are involved in the selection of the mobile IT devices? FIGURE 8 Parties involved in device selection. The majority of STAs—although not all—issue smart- phones and laptops to their employees (89% and 87%, respectively) (see Figure 9). In addition, more than 50% of respondents issue tablets, digital cameras, and handheld multifunctional data collectors such as Yumas, Nomads, and Junos by Trimble. A few STAs use laser rangefinders and radio frequency identification (RFID) readers. These results do not include personal devices that might be used for agency business. As was discovered during the case study interviews, some states expect their employees to use an agency smartphone, while others expect them to use personal devices but will pay for the monthly voice and data package. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 What mobile IT device(s) does your agency issue (not including personally owned devices) for use in the eld? Ha nd hel d m ult ifu nct ion al GP S-e qu ipp ed di git al cam era FIGURE 9 Types of mobile IT devices used by DOTs. As anticipated, the majority of devices run an iOS (Apple) or Windows-based operating system (Figure 10). The newer versions of Windows designed for desktop (Windows 8) and mobile use (Windows RT) are not as common as the older Windows 7. Blackberry and Linux systems have all but fallen out of use in STAs. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 iOS for mobile Android OS for lap/desktops Blackberry What Mac operating system (OS) platform(s) does (do) your agency’s mobile IT generally use? 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 Windows 7 Windows 8 Windows RT What Windows operating system (OS) platform(s) does (do) your agency’s mobile IT generally use? FIGURE 10 Device operating systems.

11 With a fairly even breakdown in Apple- and Microsoft- based products, various criteria can lead an STA to select one over the other. When the STAs were asked what criteria they considered for mobile IT, the primary consideration was cost, followed by security of data and ease of use (Table 5). They gave little consideration to the availability of applications for a device or operating system, perhaps because, across multiple platforms, few applications are specifically designed for the transportation industry. Using a device that is an agency stan- dard weighed more heavily than other criteria. TABLE 5 MOBILE IT DEVICE SELECTION CRITERIA CONSIDERATIONS BY DIVISION Criteria IT Overall Rank End User Rank Security of data 1 5 Cost 2 1 Ease of use 3 2 Agency standard 4 7 Interoperability 5 8 Durability 6 3 Operating system 7 4 Available native applications 8 6 Other 9 9 DEVICE AVAILABILITY AND USE Once the mobile devices are selected and purchased, it is critical to make them available to the appropriate parties. Whether it is a project designer, an inspector in construc- tion, or a maintenance worker in asset management, the end user must find value in the device, using it to assist with or replace a typical work function in an efficient man- ner. For STAs, the primary functions for mobile IT devices are to send and receive e-mails, make phone calls, and send text messages (Figure 11). Other primary functions are entering records and accessing standards. When it comes to advanced use of mobile IT devices, there is a lag in prac- tice. Fewer than half of the respondents use mobile devices for GIS, RFID technology, or editing plans, which are in their infancy. The least-used function of mobile IT devices is viewing 3D models, although this might be a front-end issue (i.e., 3D models are not created in the project). Sev- eral states, including Wisconsin and Michigan, have sig- nificant ongoing e-construction efforts that emphasize viewing 3D models on mobile devices, but they are in their infancy. The lack of advanced use can be attributed to poli- cies, procedures, or training, which are further discussed in chapter three. Although many agencies use mobile IT devices, survey respondents said that distribution of the devices remains limited. The majority of survey respondents said that mobile IT device use on projects is between 0% and 25% within their divisions (design, construction, or asset man- agement) and at the agency level (Figure 12). In chapter five, considerations for the use of mobile IT devices are examined; as expected, more complex and larger-scale projects are more likely than smaller and more routine projects to use mobile IT. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 What is (are) the main purpose(s) for your current use of mobile IT? IT End user All Ta ke /vi ew ge ota gg ed vi de os Ta ke /vi ew ge ota gg ed ph oto s RF ID /ba rco de sc an nin g FIGURE 11 Uses of mobile IT devices. 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 0% >0–25% >25–50% >50–75% >75–100% Co un t o f r es po ns es Percentage of projects Division (design, construction, asset management) STA FIGURE 12 Perceived percentage of projects and functions using mobile IT devices. APPLICATION DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT Most STAs rely on mobile IT devices to access e-mails and make phone calls, but numerous applications exist that can help agency employees in the field performance of tasks, even though few are specifically designed for the transpor- tation industry. Application use is varied and inconsistent. The most frequently used applications are the software suite from Microsoft Office, mobile SiteManager applications recently released from AASHTOWare, and in-house agency-devel- oped applications (Figure 13). As mobile devices become more popular, a shift is expected toward cloud-based and web-based software such as Office 365. The development of commercially available and transportation-specific applica- tions, along with standardizing of their use, could help with the adoption of mobile IT.

12 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 What applications does your agency’s mobile IT device(s) use? Ag enc y-d eve lop ed app lic ati on s FIGURE 13 Most frequently used applications on mobile devices. The large number of applications used can be attributed to the fact that most applications are purchased off the shelf or downloaded from an app store (Figure 14); typically, they are only partially applicable to and rarely specific to transportation. Android, Apple, and Windows application stores offer numer- ous engineering-related apps to help with calculations, reading standards and codes, and viewing design files. IT departments also create their own apps through fully in-house operations, consultants, a partnership of consultants and in-house input, or internal modification of an existing application. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Purchased o the shelf or app stores Custom developed in- house Custom developed by a consultant with in-house input Custom developed with a combined eort from consultants and agency employees Purchased o the shelf and then customized applications l don't know How are applications created? FIGURE 14 Application creation strategies. Applications are part of the constantly evolving world of technology and frequently require updates to improve their performance and address bugs. Most STAs (76%) use their IT infrastructure to push updates of the applications to the devices (Figure 15). About 30% of respondents rely on the end user to update the applications in response to push noti- fications from the app store (Figure 15). These applications are primarily web-based (90%) and require some kind of Internet connection to function prop- erly and upload information (Figure 16). This is a problem in many states that have connectivity issues in rural areas. Some states have addressed the problem by using apps that can store data while they are in an unconnected state and then update once they obtain a cellular signal. In the case studies, a few states mentioned that they have explored using software as a service (SaaS) or cloud-based systems. These services require trust in the server system for security, connectivity, and access needs, but they can be a cost-effective measure for certain products. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Automatic program updates Download from the app store End user responsibility Submit device for maintenance by request Request for end user acceptance of updates Submit device for maintenance per schedule Other Download from the web How does your agency deploy and update its applications? FIGURE 15 Application update strategies. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 Web-based application (built on a browser using HTMLS, JavaScript, Bookstrap, etc. ) Native application (developed for a specic OS) Cross-platform SDKs (built using frameworks that allow for cross-platform native app development and deployment like Adobe Air, PhoneGap, etc.) What type of application is your agency deploying? FIGURE 16 Types of application frameworks. TYPES AND USES AMONG DIVISIONS The majority of respondents, regardless of division, reported having experience with various forms of mobile IT devices; however, the types and uses differ. All respondents who self- identified as working in asset management had a laptop or smartphone; however, not all designers and construction employees did. Digital cameras were more likely to be pro- vided in the design division to assist in planning and gather- ing general layout information for the design work. In both the survey and the case studies, some design- ers suggested that more mobile IT could help with their job functions. No designers said their STAs are high-level implementers of mobile IT devices; 62% believe they are low-level implementers. Limited applications are available for designers. Some respondents in this area mentioned that an opportunity exists to develop more applications relevant to their fieldwork. Many respondents in construction and asset management rated their STAs as low-level implement- ers, although 17% and 20%, respectively, believe they are high-level implementers. Construction appears to drive advanced use of mobile devices, using them primarily for digital and paperless record entry and documentation. According to the survey

13 responses, the most frequent mobile IT use in design and asset management is to make phone calls and to send and receive e-mails and text messages. Construction division employees are more likely than those in design or asset management to see the value of mobile IT. Responding construction employees rate their perceived return on investment (ROI) positively: 80% believe the ROI is greater than 50%. On the other hand, 17% and 20% of design and asset management employees, respectively, believe that a negative ROI is associated with mobile devices. The dif- ference in perceptions probably corresponds to construction employees’ more frequent exposure to the devices and the fact that more apps are designed for their use.