Systems and Standards

Those involved in Road Network Operations require an appreciation of how the different systems that ITS uses can be made to work together in a harmonised way.  Not only is it important to secure optimum performance of the systems individually, it is also necessary to ensure that they interface with one another effectively, share data where appropriate, and can be integrated with each other to form a total system.

The development of an ITS architecture, the application of systems engineering, the selection of standards and attention to human factors are all essential building blocks. 

• ITS Architecture shows what is needed to enable each application of ITS to provide the services that its stakeholders desire and to enable different options for deployment to be considered - so that there is a greater chance that the optimum solution will be used.
• Systems Engineering is a methodology that is used to ensure that what is needed to provide user services are delivered in the best possible way so that the promised benefits of ITS can be delivered.
• ITS Standards are developed and applied to ensure that the systems that are part of an ITS implementation can work together, even when they are supplied by competing vendors.
• Human Factors provide the basis for ensuring the safety, effectiveness and ease of use of ITS-based applications and services for widely different groups of users.