A common starting point involves sharing routing data via appli-
cation programming interfaces, or APIs. They can support a district’s preferred routing platform, provide turn-by-turn directions for drivers, and deliver significant value-add through granular performance and planned versus actual analyses.
Handling Large Volumes of Data Obviously, having lots of information equips managers to make good
decisions. But handling large volumes of data can also become over- whelming. To avoid that problem, Zonar’s Maxey advised starting with a few key operational goals instead of trying to track everything at once. “When leaders align data to a specific goal, it becomes much easier to identify what matters and act on it,” he said. McCann at Samsara has also seen success with this approach. “Don’t try to boil the ocean,” he said. “The leaders who get the most value from their data start with a short list of metrics tied to the outcomes they care about most.” Typical choices focus on priorities such as student safety, on-time
performance, fleet reliability, and reducing parent calls to the transpor- tation office. “Pick two or three things you want to move and build your processes around those,” he suggested. “From there, the platform does the heavy lifting.” Maxey also emphasized a focus on trends and exceptions, not just
volume. “Leaders don’t need to study every data point individually,” he said. “The most effective operations look for recurring patterns, outliers and the areas where action can have the biggest impact.” Casto at Jackson County stressed the importance of focusing on what
matters most rather than trying to track everything. “We prioritize key indicators like safety events, on-time performance and maintenance trends,” he said. He also strives for simplicity. “Use dashboards and summaries that
are easy to understand so you can act quickly,” he said. “Data should support decisions, not slow them down.” Building a standardized view of district data, such as a transportation dashboard, can help in extracting useful info from a large amount of information. “If you need to see data a certain way today, you’ll likely need it again,” Marshall at Prince William said. “Standardization prevents reinventing the wheel, especially during turnover, and is easier to maintain than rebuilding or duplicating a process.” The growth of AI also holds promise for dealing with a growing influx
of data. “AI is really accelerating our ability to extract, curate and proactively
present data across every operational area,” Ortlieb noted. “This helps streamline a lot of use cases for transportation staff and administrators.” Examples include detailed on-time arrival analysis, location of stu-
dents and information for meeting reimbursement requirements. “The key is working with our team up front to validate that the right
data is being captured,” Ortlieb said. “From there, it’s our responsibility to make it accessible and easy to consume.”
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