Can the MBTA Improve Operations Through Service Chain Optimization?

BOSTON, June  28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --  With a pending 23% MBTA fare hike scheduled for July 1, $51 million on the table for a last-minute budget bailout, and a staggering 20% projected increase in riders, Boston commuters are being hammered by numbers. On ClickSoftware's Clickipedia Blog, Mike Karlskind, Vice President of Service Optimization Strategies, discusses the details of the cash-strapped MBTA, some thoughts on giving a smartphone to every employee, and shares a detailed infographic that breaks down the debt and operating costs.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120628/NE32537-INFO )

Read the full blog post here: http://blogs.clicksoftware.com/clickipedia-blog/bid/84618/Can-the-MBTA-Improve-Operations-Through-Service-Chain-Optimization

In looking at the numbers, what Karlskind found most interesting is that the MBTA has to shut down at 12:30am every night so crews can do necessary repairs, including working through a $4.5 billion backlog of maintenance projects on aging equipment.  These numbers for any operation – public or private – when combined with an $8.5 billion debt load and an overtime operating budget of $30.9 million, begs the question: are there other solutions?

Fare hikes should help, but fares only account for 28% of the MBTA revenue. So does cutting routes and raising fares make sense?

The Clickipedia blog highlights tactics that companies like the MBTA can take to lower operating costs, increase productivity, and address a large backlog of maintenance projects.

Want to join the conversation? Leave a comment or take to Twitter using #MBTAOps. 

About ClickSoftware
ClickSoftware is the leading provider of automated mobile workforce management and service optimization solutions for the enterprise, both for mobile and in-house resources. As pioneers of the "Service chain optimization" concept, our solutions provide organizations with end-to-end visibility and control of the entire service management chain by optimizing forecasting, planning, shift and task scheduling, mobility and real-time management of resource and customer communication.

Available via the cloud or on-premise, our products incorporate best business practices and advanced decision-making algorithms to manage service operations more efficiently, in a scalable, integrated manner. Our solutions have become the backbone for many leading organizations worldwide by addressing the fundamental question of job fulfillment: Who does What, for Whom, With what, Where and When.

ClickSoftware is the premier choice for delivering superb business performance to service sector organizations of all sizes. The company is headquartered in the United States and Israel, with offices across Europe, and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit http://www.clicksoftware.com/. Follow us on Twitter.

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