Location: BlogsHEEP Agency ReportsArea II
Posted by: rjrobinson@dot.state.nc.us	9/25/2009
CURRENT AND PROPOSED ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES INFRASTRUCTURE (DESKTOP, NETWORKING, SERVER/STORAGE/ETC.) LADOTD current infrastructure includes an IBM z/890-230 mainframe, an IBM 2105-F20 Enterprise Storage System, an IBM 3494 Automatic Tape Library, an IBM DS6800 Enterprise Storage System and an IBM 3995 Optical Library. NEW SYSTEMS (JUST COMPLETED, IN PROGRESS, OR PREPARING TO START) SiteManager – LaDOTD has implemented SiteManager 3.8a statewide in all districts and will be upgrading the system with enhancements that include using Oracle Enterprise Server. LaDOTD has granted Contractors and Consultants access to the Site Manager system through CITRIX and no longer stores documents in Site Manager. Instead, documents are stored in the document management system and accessed in Site Manager via URLs. SiteManager / Materials – LaDOTD is currently working with InfoTech to replace the mainframe Materials System (MATT) with Site Manager Material. Part of this project involves implementation of New York’s LIMS system. Trns*port Pre-Construction and Estimating – LaDOTD has impemented web Trns.port Preconstruction, BAMS/DSS, and CES. LaDOTD was the first to implement the web version for Preconstruction and ties into Expedite and Bid Express. This system replaces the legacy bidding system, used for over 20 years. Electronic Bidding (EBID) – LaDOTD is using Expedite and Bid Express for its electronic bidding system. LaDOTD has changed the State Law, which requires the distribution of paper bid documents. Effective September 2009, DOTD will go paper and stop selling plans and proposal. Prospective Bidders and Information-Only contractors can register and download the bidding documents, including plans, proposals and addendum. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) – All of LaDOTD’s Financial System will be replaced by the Statewide ERP system effective October 2010. Along with this project DOTD will be implementing a maintenance management system, Agile Assets. Consultant Rating System (RNTG) – LaDOTD uses this system to assign performance ratings to engineering consultants for their work on LaDOTD engineering contracts. These ratings are used in the selection of consultants for future projects. The current system rates each contractor on five factors (Knowledge, Quality, Completion, Cooperation, and Communication). Each factor is rated on a scale of 0-4. Zero being unsatisfactory and 4 being outstanding. LaDOTD is working on a new web-based application to rate each contractor on many different factors based on the type of work. The new system will have multi-tiered security to allow for peer review for each rating. Digital Signatures – LaDOTD is implementing Digital Signatures in several processes using Silanis ApproveIt. The pilot application selected for the web portal is Driveway Permits and Mailbox permits. We will be implementing Digital Signatures as part of our plan submittal process in 2009. DESIGN AUTOMATION SYSTEMS (JUST COMPLETED, IN PROGRESS, PREPARING TO START) Electronic Standards for Plans – LaDOTD released a comprehensive set of electronic standards for plan development effective in January 2007. Standards for CADD tools, drafting workspaces, drafting symbology and data formats were established for both LaDOTD and consultant designers after an evaluation process involving LaDOTD and consultant technical experts, Aarhus Associates and Altiva Software. As we move ahead in 2009, this system continues to evolve and get better. CAD Drafting – LaDOTD uses Bentley MicroStation MicroStation XM. LaDOTD consultants are currently allowed to use MicroStation XM or AutoCAD 2007-2009. AutoCAD drawings must be created to LaDOTD data standards and translated to MicroStation format deliverables using standard mapping tables. Deliverables must be certified LaDOTD CAD standards compliant or they will be rejected. Road Design and Survey– LaDOTD uses Bentley Inroads XM. Consultants are required to use Inroads running on the MicroStation platform. LaDOTD made this decision because of problems with the AutoCAD platform; and potential inefficiencies and costs to maintain separate Inroads standards. CAD Standards – LaDOTD requires Altiva CADconform V6.5 for management of CAD drafting standards. CADconform includes a standards database, drafting menus, interactive standards checker, report manager, certification tool and user manager. CADconform works on both MicroStation and AutoCAD, automatically mapping MicroStation drafting menus to support AutoCAD drafting as well. Altiva DeployCAD is used to deliver and set up MicroStation and AutoCAD workspaces for LaDOTD consultants. LaDOTD’s DeployCAD workspace downloads are hosted on Altiva’s web site, making incremental updates easier to administer. Offline Indexing – Altiva ControlCAD Indexer provides LaDOTD consultants with an offline tool to index plan deliverables that will be managed by DOTD’s ProjectWise system and Published by the Falcon system. For information on these systems, see Engineering Support Systems below. This tool efficiently guides users through the indexing process and prevents the XML index file from being saved until the index is complete. ControlCAD Indexer is also integrated with Bentley ProjectWise so that DOTD users have an option to index documents using the Indexer interface for more effective quality control. Creating and Verifying Consultant Submittals – Altiva ControlCAD Submittal is used to create and verify electronic plan submittals. This tool enforces deliverable standards by checking MicroStation CAD drawings for the existence of related XML index files, reference files, CAD standards certification stamps and several other criteria. Additionally, it checks PDF drawing submittals for XML index files and Digital Signatures. ControlCAD Submittal is also integrated with ProjectWise, enabling direct upload of consultant Submittal Archives and verification of the integrity of submittals as they are maintained in ProjectWise. Digital Signatures for Plans: LaDOTD will be piloting and fully implementing digital signatures for plans in the coming months. LaDOTD requires ApproveIt Desktop by Silanis as the digital signature software for its internal and consultant design engineers. This software is a critical component our Automated PDF Plans Publishing System. See Engineering Support Systems below. ENGINEERING SUPPORT SYSTEMS (JUST COMPLETED, IN PROGRESS, PREPARING TO START) Electronic Plan Production and Collaboration System – LaDOTD completed the piloting phase and proceeded to full-production of the Bentley ProjectWise system in August 2008. All new plan development projects are now being created in ProjectWise; and ongoing projects are being moved into ProjectWise. Since the full-production phase began, this system has increased in popularity as users have realized its benefits. Users are now coming on a regular basis with new ideas on how to leverage the benefits of this system. Accomplishments of the past year also include developing FTP-like functionality to enable DOTD to efficiently exchange data with consultants; managing all DOTD standard drawings in ProjectWise; leveraging new ProjectWise XM functionality; and developing the new Automated PDF Plans Publishing System (See this topic below). Automated PDF Plans Publishing System – Bentley Systems is in the process of completing this system as an add-on to ProjectWise. The system efficiently publishes PDF drawing from MicroStation design files for a variety of project milestones. Users do not have to worry about selecting plotting resources. They simply select the drawings to publish and then select the Publish to PDF application from a pick list. The Publish to PDF application looks at two project level attributes to determine the settings needed by InterPlot to format the drawings for export to PDF format. InterPlot then works offline on a server and lets concerned parties know when the submittal is complete. In the process of creating a submittal, this application creates a submittal folder, sends the output PDFs to this folder and copies the indexing attribute values from the CAD drawing to the output PDF drawing. Other tools in this system include Export to Plans Room and digital workflow tools for signing PDF drawings with ApproveIt Desktop. Electronic Plans Distribution System – The primary function of this system is to facilitate efficient electronic plans publishing for LaDOTD internal staff and external contractors (bidders). Primary components used for this system include several tsaADVET Falcon tools. Falcon SVP web publishing went live for LaDOTD contractors in January 2006. The Falcon SVP Q&A Extension, which was designed by tsaADVET according to LaDOTD specifications, collects, manages and publishes contractor questions and LaDOTD answers regarding bid plans. PROJECT MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (JUST COMPLETED, IN PROGRESS, PREPARING TO START) Program & Project Management System (PPMS) – This system is a single, integrated application that centrally stores detailed program, project and task level cost and schedule information that Program Managers, Project Managers, and Task Managers need to plan, monitor and direct all project work performed by LaDOTD personnel and LaDOTD Consultants. Environmental Tracking System (ETS) – ETS is a PPMS module that tracks data for the Environmental process. It also maintains and produces various environmental control documents for all EAs, EISs, PCEs, CEs, and EEs. This system has been online since March, 2008. Appraisal, Acquisition, and Relocations System (AARS) – This system is a single, integrated application that centrally stores detailed appraisal, acquisition, and relocation level information that AARS Project Leads, HQ Agents, Appraisers, Review Appraisers, Field Agents and Relocation Agents need to track assigned LaDOTD Right of Way Projects. Utilities Relocation Tracking System (URTS) – This system is a single, integrated application that centrally stores details (agreement terms, invoices, payments, form letters, etc.) relating to Utility Contractors that have been or are currently under contract to work with LaDOTD to relocate utility facilities impacted by proposed LaDOTD Projects. Users include both LaDOTD personnel and LaDOTD Contractors who provide administrative support to the LaDOTD Utilities Group. RECORD OF EXCHANGE INFORMATION WANTED LaDOTD is interested in: 1. How are other states managing internet access by contractors and consultants to DOT application, specifically concerning user id and password maintenance? 2. Does any state have an internet application for contractors to submit minority employee counts for the FHWA 1392 form (annual EEO report)?
Permalink |  Trackback