A MyWay+ ticket validator on a Transport Canberra bus when the new system was switched on. Photo: PTCBR.
The ACT Government and MyWay+ provider NEC were not on board the same bus when it came to what the new ticketing system would do and how it would be delivered, according to a commissioned report that lays bare how unprepared and ill-equipped both parties were before the botched November go-live.
The government engaged IT consultant Projects Assured in September to assess how ready MyWay+ was to be rolled out but found below par products, a lack of vital supporting documentation or user guides, that not all buses would have the new system installed, a need for manual fixes instead of full capability and a ‘don’t rock the boat mentality’ meaning issues went unresolved.
It also warned that work was behind schedule, fare collection could be disrupted, and customer experience staff were unprepared to deal with the potential number of complaints from the travelling public.
It recommended scenarios and case studies be developed and tested, including the troubleshooting, triage and scripting required to manage a potential influx of customer enquiries.
A six-week trial period of free travel was designed to iron out kinks, but the 27 November launch was beset with problems when commuters and school kids began tapping onto buses and light rail with either new MyWay+ cards, Mastercard or Visa cards, or a QR code on the MyWay+ app on their smartphone.
TCCS was deluged by complaints from customers who found the machines refused to scan their cards or QR codes, or only scanned once, either to tap on or tap off.
Up to 18 (or 25 per cent) of the ticket validators at the major interchanges and light-rail stops also weren’t working.
Many of the issues have been sorted, but MyWay+ is still not delivering all of what was promised and required in NEC’s contract.
The report said TCCS and NEC both agreed to a reduced functionality approach, or Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to make the 11 November go-live date.
However, due to time pressures, there was no detailed agreement on the specific scope of the MVP, resulting in the two parties operating under different assumptions about what MyWay+ functions would be delivered and how they would be delivered.
“TCCS’s assumption was that NEC would provide detailed documentation to support the products that were being delivered leading up to the MVP, however such documentation has in various cases, either not been received, or has been at a lower-than-expected level of quality or completion,” the report says.
TCCS decided that redirecting resources to fix this would jeopardise the go-live and focused instead on the products being delivered on time and being able to be used, with documentation updated later.
Using MyWay+ was chaotic at first, and issues remain unresolved. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
The report found the products available at go live would be ‘sub-optimal’ but would work, with priority given to minimise or prevent complaints from the public and reputational damage.
The desire to maintain positive working relationships resulted in the avoidance of robust conversations when dealing with issues.
There was no plan for the significant changes to TCCS’s business functions and operations, and the ‘just in time’ nature of the program delivery resulted in a pile-up of planned activities close to the launch date.
“Impacts to quality are expected, with additional manual processes required in lieu of full capability,” the report said.
Projects Assured recommended that staff immediately workshop exactly what had been delivered and in what state before the go-live to inform the customer support/customer experience teams.
After the launch, NEC should produce a roadmap to fulfil the contract and deliver full operational capability, including a credible plan for how the rest of the project will be achieved while ramping up and maintaining services.
It added the parties should “reset” the current delivery approach and revert to a structured process that included formal quality management, feedback, and acceptance and remediation of products that did not meet the required quality level.
The report said the plan for people to register with MyWay+ and fares to start at the same time should be reviewed to allow time for public adoption and the identification of issues and defects, as well as minimise fare avoidance and potential route delays caused by public confusion.
It is not known how many of the recommendations were taken on board and to what extent they were implemented, if at all, before the switchover.
A Legislative Assembly committee is inquiring into the introduction of the procurement and delivery of MyWay+ and is due to report by 26 June. It has received 109 submissions and conducted public hearings.
