NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s FME journey to 90% faster data processing

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) enhanced data processing by integrating FME to manage equipment surveys for their technology ecosystem, ITSN. Automation reduced the task time from a full day to just five minutes, enabling real-time updates and improving efficiency, data integrity, and stakeholder confidence.

This work was done in collaboration with Safe Software partner Locus.

NZTA faced challenges updating records and capturing network device details on the Intelligent Transport System Network (ITSN)

The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) manages the national transport system, aiming to improve traffic flow, safety, efficiency, and environmental outcomes. A vital aspect of this effort is the Intelligent Transport System Network (ITSN), a technology ecosystem comprising various systems and applications, including devices like traffic signals, variable speed limits, dynamic lane management, and signs, mainly concentrated in New Zealand’s major cities.

Through ITSN Equipment Surveys hosted on ArcGIS Survey123, updating records and capturing details of newly installed network devices on the ITSN presented a challenge. The manual process of downloading, compressing, and sending photo attachments was time-consuming and inefficient, often taking an entire day to complete.

FME streamlined a time-intensive, manual process

To address these inefficiencies, NZTA integrated FME into their workflow. Using an FME Flow webhook with ArcGIS Survey123, they automated the fetching of submission messages in JSON and extracting of new network device equipment photos, eliminating the need for continuous manual input checks.

FME Flow extracts necessary data and downloads equipment photos from form submissions. The photo URLs are converted to the required formats, saved in a file, and sent to an analyst for review. Upon confirmation, the file is uploaded to the ITSN SharePoint Group folder for the business owner.

Automation enables multiple photo submissions per survey and ensures only new or edited form attributes are processed. Unique IDs are added to photo names along with data timestamps minimizing data loss and ensuring data integrity. With fluctuating survey demand, the automation process can run from zero to up to ten times per week.

The solution enabled a near real-time data management process, significantly reducing the reporting task time from almost a full day to just five minutes. This efficiency allows business owners to review photos within minutes of submission, freeing the NZTA Spatial team to focus on other critical tasks and more quickly address additional tickets.

By implementing FME for ITSN data management, NZTA optimized resource use, built stronger stakeholder relationships, and ensured data integrity. The new system’s reliability and speed fostered trust and confidence in the process, with unique identifiers and timestamps mitigating the risk of overwriting and ensuring data recoverability.

The success of the Geospatial departments is recognized organization-wide. The teams are often approached by other departments to execute tasks requiring FME, demonstrating its potential for wider use within the organization.

90%

reduction in processing time

“The volume of ITSN data and processes associated with managing it consumed a lot of the team’s time and computer processing capabilities. By leveraging FME, we have achieved a remarkable 90% reduction in process time, cutting it down from 8 hours to just 5-6 minutes. This transformation has not only enhanced our ability to rapidly and accurately update our network device records, but strengthened relationships with stakeholders’ and reduced the day-to-day working pressure on the team.”

Lorin Lima

Manager Geospatial Intelligence, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA)