Technology adoption is important for the business side of the DOT as it implements new advancements in information technology and works to employ new data collection methods. DOTs need to expand their ability to rapidly and cost-effectively adopt new technology in order to take advantage of opportunities for improved efficiency and decision support.
More importantly, technology adoption also changes needed workforce capabilities. There is a need for more tech-related positions and for staff who can manage and oversee the adoption and use of technology. In particular, DOT staff and managers will need the ability to determine whether to adopt the latest technologies, and whether the effort is appropriate to the return in efficiency and effectiveness that could be gained. The effort to implement new technology will also require improved collaboration among staff in different parts of the agency to ensure and maintain compatibility across systems and with external contributors or stakeholders. Finally, the agency also needs to improve its ability to use social, mobile and cloud technologies, as new workers joining the organization are likely to be very skilled and comfortable with these technologies.
Mission critical capabilities:
- The capability to adopt and fully integrate new technologies
- The capability to use data to inform decision making
- The capability to identify and evaluate risks