When Tom Dietz joined the Salem, Oregon, public transit system — known as Cherriots — as its new chief operations officer, one of his initial challenges was overseeing the successful implementation of a transit technology solution. Cherriots had experienced a series of what Dietz called “starts and stops” with previously procured solutions, none of which fully accomplished the mission at hand. Issues included inadequate project scoping, confusing definitions of goals and objectives, and challenges with implementation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dietz knew that for this deployment (his fifth such project) to be effective, the approach would have to be deliberate, and the selected partner would need to match their desire for success. The hill to climb with the Cherriots staff was steep; there was a profound lack of trust among frontline staff that had to be re-earned by management. So, how did Dietz and the Cherriots team accomplish their goals and achieve a deployment that was Dietz’s “best deployment” yet?

THE THIRD TIME IS THE CHARM
The team at Avail Technologies had made proposals to Cherriots twice, coming up short each time. So, when another CAD/AVL RFP was issued by the agency, one can understand there may have been some reluctance to try again. However, according to Vic Kumar, PMP, Sr. Program Manager at Avail, “We understood their enterprise-wide reliability concerns and could relate to their pain points since we had been working with them for their separate Fleet-Net ERP system. So, it just made sense to pursue the full Cherriots partnership again.”

The third time was indeed the charm for Kumar and Avail, pitching the myAvail solution as a one-stop shop for all the agency’s technology needs. According to Dietz, Cherriots selected myAvail for several reasons, including their approach, the quality of the equipment and software support, and their “willingness to stick with us at Cherriots.” Dietz added that the Avail team “matched our need to succeed and sincerely understood what we call the ‘Cherriots Way.’”

The myAvail solution met Cherriots’ need for robust Enterprise Transit Management Software (ETMS). The package allowed the agency to pull as many as 12 separate software systems under the myAvail umbrella, including CAD/AVL, centralized dispatch, passenger counting, stop details, on-time performance, a trip planning passenger app, stop announcements in English and Spanish, and fleet management.

A REGIMENTED AND ORGANIZED DEPLOYMENT
Despite an aggressive implementation timeline, Dietz could not be happier with the results of the implementation. There were 31 individuals on the core project team, each playing a critical role. It included representatives from every Cherriots department and what Dietz calls “an incredible implementation team” from Avail. “We needed more than just a customer/provider relationship,” said Dietz. “We needed synergy and partnership, and that is what we received from Avail.”

According to Avail systems engineer Zafer Batmaz, the Cherriots deployment started in January of 2024, and by December, the solution was fully live. “The team at Cherriots knew what they wanted and was committed to getting this done,” Batmaz said. “The client was excited and wanted to be involved, which resulted in a true partnership. And now, they feel like they are in the right place,” he added.

Both Batmaz and Kumar were on the Avail project team for Cherriots and noted that there were some hurdles to overcome. These challenges included a diverse fleet with a relatively small spare ratio, so it required some workarounds and custom installations.

Dietz knows that there is no such thing as a perfect deployment, but because Cherriots was dedicated to success — and Avail led a regimented and organized project team — they were able to meet their 12-month timeline for full implementation. “We took an ‘all in’ approach, and Avail matched it the whole way,” said Dietz.

REDUCING THE LEARNING CURVE
Because regaining the trust of the Cherriots frontline staff was crucial, Dietz said he was quite candid at the project kick-off. He told the Avail team that getting full buy-in from the team was the biggest hill to climb, so the whole project team needed to work together to earn their trust.

“The Avail training and documentation was excellent, readily available, and easily integrated into our standard operating procedures,” said Dietz. “We knew we had selected the right partner with Avail when we felt the trust of the staff again, as soon as 30 days after the initial install.”

As Kumar put it, “We listen to our client partners, so we learn how we can use our technology to improve their lives.” Kumar added that Avail establishes help portals and surveys, customizing training based on the customer. Batmaz added that Avail takes a “building on blocks” approach to training, including their training team in the discovery phase of the project, to establish multiple levels of training for each type of customer role (such as executive, manager, supervisor, and operator).

LEVERAGING MYAVAIL TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE
“Safety is, of course, our core value,” said Dietz, “so tracking the vehicles, knowing the state of each vehicle in real-time, and managing effective fleet maintenance are at the heart of our day-to-day operations. With myAvail, we have all those things at our fingertips, and with the voice-over-internet-protocol (VOIP) radio system, everyone feels safer.”

Dietz added that the passenger-facing aspects of myAvail are receiving rave reviews. “The passenger app is being rolled out and the onboard announcements using human voice talent, as opposed to a robotic voice, is an excellent touch to enhance the experience for our riders.” Dietz believes now that the implementation is complete, Cherriots will see direct results that will include increased ridership.

As Batmaz observed, “An informed passenger is a happy passenger.” He added, “We know how important it is for our customers’ passengers to have an enhanced experience as a result of Avail’s technology. So, we ensure our apps are easy to use, provide consistent and accurate information in real time, and are customizable so the passenger can opt to receive alerts about their favorite routes and stops.”

Batmaz added that the solution installed at Cherriots includes a robust incident management module, including automated safety announcements to passengers, the ability for dispatchers to make announcements directly to the passengers, and an emergency alarm button that the operator can deploy to immediately change the destination signs and alert dispatch and the authorities. “We value passenger and operator safety and security as much as our partners do,” he added.