August 2005

TMCOps

TMC Operator Requirements and Position Descriptions

Phase 2 Interactive Tool

Project Presentation

August 2005

• Purpose of TMCOps • Benefits of TMCOps• Intended Audience • Technical Approach• Usability Testing Results• TMCOps Screenshots• For More Information

Overview

August 2005

• Phase 1– Relate TMC functions and tasks to the operator

knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) required to perform those functions and tasks

– Support operating agencies and contractors in• Identifying personnel requirements

• Developing position descriptions

• Making TMC staffing and design decisions

• Phase 2– Develop an interactive software tool to facilitate the

Phase 1 objectives

Purpose of TMCOps

August 2005

Helps TMC managers and supervisors:• Identify and prioritize KSAs required for TMOT job

performance

• Create position descriptions that justify TMOT hiring criteria and salaries

• Document training needs linked to required KSAs

Benefits of TMCOps

August 2005

• Managers of transportation management systems and traffic operations programs

• TMC support contractors who supply TMOTs• May be involved in or responsible for

– Setting policies

– Allocating resources

– Planning

– Creating policies and procedures

– Making staffing decisions

– Training

Intended Audience

August 2005

• Conduct Intensive Review of Phase 1 Material• Develop Preliminary Design of Software Tool• Define Functional Requirements for Interactive

Tool• Develop Software Architecture and Requirements• Implement Prototype Tool• Develop Detailed Software Design• Develop Content• Implement Software Tool• Develop Test Plans• Perform Software and Usability Testing

Technical Approach

August 2005

• Overall average score of 3.41 (out of 4)• Ratings generally favorable, except for the amount

of time required to complete the full dialog• Value of streamlined dialog affirmed by usability

testing• Only two minor changes and no significant

changes recommended based on results of usability testing

Usability Testing Results

August 2005

The TMCOps home page describes the tool’s purpose and intended audience and provides access to the major subsections of the tool.

If the user wants to save work and return to it at a later time, he must create a user account or log in to a previously-created user account.

User inputs are stored as data sets called “profiles” in the TMCOps database. On the Profile Management page, the user can create a new profile, load an existing profile, and rename or delete existing profiles.

TMCOps Home Page

August 2005

The user can start a new interactive dialog session using either the full dialog or the streamlined dialog. Currently, only the “No Defaults” option is available, but once information on exemplar TMCs becomes available, users will be able to select those TMCs as default starting points.

If the user had previously begun an interactive dialog session, there would also be links available to allow the user to resume the previous interactive dialog session.

Interactive Dialog Home Page

August 2005

The user can select functions performed by the TMC of interest from the base set of 16 functions. Functions can be characterized as current or future functionality in the TMC.

The user can also define new functions, which will then appear at the bottom of the list of functions.

Select Functions Page (Full Dialog)

August 2005

The user can create new functions for the TMC of interest. The new functions will appear at the bottom of the list of functions on the Select Functions page.

User Functions Page (Full Dialog)

August 2005

The user can reorder the selected functions. This step is optional, and only affects the order in which the functions are displayed on subsequent pages.

Prioritize Functions Page (Full Dialog)

August 2005

The user can select composite tasks performed by the TMC of interest from the base set of composite tasks. Composite tasks can be characterized as current or future functionality in the TMC.

The user can also define new composite tasks for a function, which will then appear at the bottom of the list of composite tasks for that function.

Select Composite Tasks Page (Full Dialog)

August 2005

The user can create new composite tasks for the TMC of interest. The new composite tasks will then appear at the bottom of the list of composite tasks for the function with which it is associated on the Select Composite Tasks page.

User Composite Tasks Page (Full Dialog)

August 2005

The user can select discrete tasks performed by the TMC of interest from the base set of discrete tasks. Discrete tasks can be characterized as current or future functionality in the TMC.

The user can also define new discrete tasks for a composite task, which will then appear at the bottom of the list of discrete tasks for that composite task.

Select Discrete Tasks Page (Full Dialog)

August 2005

The user can create new discrete tasks for the TMC of interest. The new discrete tasks will then appear at the bottom of the list of discrete tasks for the composite task with which it is associated on the Select Discrete Tasks page.

Creating a new discrete task is somewhat more complicated than creating a new function or composite task. The user must assign the discrete task to a performance level, and select the KSAs required to perform the discrete task.

(Other pages, not shown in this presentation, allow the user to define new KSAs, if necessary, and select the KSAs to be associated with a new discrete task.)

User Discrete Tasks Page (Full Dialog)

August 2005

On the KSA List page, the user can review the KSAs required to perform the selected functions and tasks and select the KSAs that will be used in the output products.

If the KSA List was generated by the full dialog, the user can filter and sort the list based on the timeframe in which the KSAs are required (current or future) and the performance level at which the KSAs are required. (The information to perform this filtering is not collected in the streamlined dialog.)

The user can also modify certain variables in the KSAs, such as the minimum data entry rate (in words per minute) required for the position.

KSA List Page (Full Dialog)

August 2005

The user can select functions performed by the TMC of interest from the base set of 16 functions.

Unlike the full dialog, functions cannot be characterized as current or future functionality in the TMC and new functions cannot be created in the streamlined dialog.

Select Functions Page (Streamlined Dialog)

August 2005

In the streamlined dialog, the user is not required to select the composite tasks performed in the TMC of interest. The user proceed directly to selecting discrete tasks from the base set of discrete tasks.

Unlike the full dialog, discrete tasks cannot be characterized as current or future functionality in the TMC and new discrete tasks cannot be created in the streamlined dialog.

A filtering scheme based on the user’s selections prevents the display of discrete tasks that would not affect the contents of the list of required KSAs, thereby reducing the number of selections the user has to make for the same outcome compared to the full dialog.

Select Discrete Tasks Page (Streamlined Dialog)

August 2005

On the KSA List page, the user can review the KSAs required to perform the selected functions and tasks and select the KSAs that will be used in the output products.

The user can also modify certain variables in the KSAs, such as the minimum data entry rate (in words per minute) required for the position.

KSA List Page (Streamlined Dialog)

August 2005

On this page, the user can create three different types of output products: position descriptions, training programs, and lists of testable skills. The output products can be created at three performance levels: entry level, full performance, and advanced.

The user can create as many versions of each output product as desired and save them all into a profile. All previously-created output products for the current profile are displayed on this page and can be viewed and modified.

Select Output Products Page

August 2005

The training program generated by TMCOps is displayed in the browser for the user to review. The user can download a copy of the output product as a plain text or Rich Text Format document.

Training Program Output Page

August 2005

The list of testable skills generated by TMCOps is displayed in the browser for the user to review. The list consists of skills from selected KSAs that were identified by GTRI as “testable.” The user can download a copy of the output product as a plain text or Rich Text Format document.

List of Testable Skills Output Page

August 2005

Unlike creating training programs or lists of testable skills, creating a position descriptions requires additional user input. The first step for the user is to define the structure of the position description.

The user can arrange the default set of position description settings into the desired order, exclude sections from the position description, or create new sections to be included in the position description.

Define Position Description Outline Page

August 2005

The second step in creating a position description is to review the content provided by TMCOps and to provide additional content that the tool cannot provide.

A text box appears for each section of the position description, with bracketed text providing guidance as to what type of material should appear in each section. Text that the tool is able to automatically provide also appears in the text boxes, where available.

Input Position Description Content Page

August 2005

The position description generated by TMCOps is displayed in the browser for the user to review. The user can download a copy of the output product as a plain text or Rich Text Format document.

Position Description Output Page

August 2005

The List of Functions and Tasks page allows the user to view all of the base TMC functions and tasks in a single hierarchical list, as well as any new functions or tasks created by the user in the full dialog.

The user can also filter the list to only show the functions and tasks that are currently selected in the full dialog.

List of Functions and Tasks Page

August 2005

The Background Documentation page provides access to two documents, TMC Operator Requirements and Position Descriptions, on which the tool was largely based, and Selected TMC Position Descriptions, which provides examples of typical TMC position descriptions.

The documents can be downloaded as Adobe PDF files or they can be viewed in the Web browser as a series of HTML pages.

The user can navigate directly to any page in a document via the table of contents, and can page through the document one page at a time using “Previous” and “Next” controls at the bottom of each page.

Background Documentation Page

August 2005

Other Tool Pages

• Tutorials– Additional information on ten topics relevant to the tool

• Help – Context sensitive– Appears in a separate browser window

• Search– Users can search the text of the tool

• Glossary – Defines terms that may be unfamiliar to users

• List of Acronyms– Defines all acronyms used on the site

August 2005

For More Information

• TMCOps is available online athttp://tmcops.gtri.gatech.edu

• For general information about the TMC Pooled-Fund Study, seehttp://tmcpfs.ops.fhwa.dot.gov

• For more information about this project, visit the TMC Pooled-Fund Study Web site for TMCOps:http://tmcpfs.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/cfprojects/new_detail.cfm?id=55&new=0