The challenge
Scaling snow removal operations
Montgomery County, Maryland’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Highway Services Department was challenged by inefficient operation. At the time, Montgomery County employed about 220 plow-truck drivers and augmented its staff with hundreds of contractors during severe storms. It created issues as contract drivers were not equipped with radios on the same frequency as county staff.
The primary goal set for the Solvd team was to launch a scalable snowplow fleet management and reporting platform that would be convenient both for MCDOT to monitor the status of snow-covered routes and for contractors to have a convenient way to assist in this endeavor.
The approach
Building a multi-platform system for personnel, public and private contractors
To address this challenge, MCDOT deployed SnowIQ, a snowplow fleet management and reporting tool designed for municipalities, snowplow operators and the public. This SaaS solution utilized a combination of smartphone-based global positioning system (GPS) and cloud technologies, providing a 360-degree view of individual contractor vehicles and the overall snow removal fleet without requiring costly hardware investments. The MCDOT team and drivers were able to easily log in to the SnowIQ app from the smartphones and devices they already owned.
SnowIQ provided robust resource management functionality (personnel, equipment, contractors, and materials) while simultaneously providing an external array of real-time information to the public. It enabled them to make informed travel decisions amid disruptive winter storms. The core functionalities of SnowIQ were built to leverage and operate on the cloud platform, Microsoft Azure and run on any Android or iOS platform regardless of the device manufacturer or cellular carrier. It enabled county personnel, private contractors assisting in the cleanup effort and residents alike to access information on a handheld device simultaneously.
Evolving Snow IQ
Three years after the launch, MCDOT decided to update the visual consistency and usability across different Snow IQ applications, as well as enhance some existing features and build new ones. The team started by building a design system that unified elements such as fonts, colors, grid system, iconography, buttons, input fields and more. It helped make the product consistent and sped up the design of future features.
The new updates included conference calls, chat, improved editing features and the possibility to support multiple active phases, streamlining workflows with separate Active Event and Administration sections for better navigation.
The outcome
Faster route clearing, cost savings and design excellence
MCDOT was enabled to not only assign a driver’s current route, but they could queue all subsequent routes through a mobile device. This saved Montgomery County time and money and allowed routes to be tracked and cleared faster. It even eliminated obstacles, such as language barriers.
From the design standpoint, SnowIQ became a polished and visually consistent product, clear and easy to use. Improved productivity and communication followed, making the end goal—preparing for the snowstorm events smooth and efficient. The application is active and available on App Store and Google Play.
Technologies and partners
Enabling Snow IQ’s long-term success
About client
Montgomery County, Maryland’s Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Highway Services Department
Maryland Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Highway Services Department is a division in Montgomery County responsible for maintaining and managing the county’s roadway infrastructure. Their mission is to ensure safe and efficient travel throughout Montgomery County’s extensive network of local roads and highways.
Industry
Government & public services
