RSF 70, CVISN Data Quality Initiative

Kentucky Transportation Center researchers have discovered several data quality issues that need to be addressed with subsequent application development and data testing. The first problem concerns the submission of SAFER data. Currently, no one in Kentucky is able to compare SAFER and CVIEW records to the records in the KYTC’s legacy systems to ensure they are properly synced. Kentucky would like to implement a notification system so that when any problems arise the state CVISN program manager and Kentucky researchers are notified there is a problem and work to address it before law enforcement have problems at roadside. Development of this tool and its usage will require the assistance of a research team with the time and skills to monitor data issues. Kentucky also needs logistical support for the rewrite of its International Registration Plan (IRP) system, which will replace the states decades-old Oracle system. Until the system is replaced, IRP program officials need help troubleshooting problems with the current system. Right now, there is a problem where expired license plates dropping out of the data even though expired plates going back two years need to be included per SAFER requirements. There is an additional problem where plate transfers are not correctly processed. Enforcement officials in other states have identified Kentucky IRP vehicles whose plate had recently been transferred. Because of the processing error, the enforcement officials incorrectly assumed the vehicle had no current registration because there was no record in their CVIEW. The IRP vehicle transfers were never included in Kentucky’s SAFER transaction sets. Ultimately, the issue was Kentucky’s, and not the carrier’s fault. The new re-write needs to be guided so as to avoid these kinds of problems, which waste the time of law enforcement and compliant carriers all over the country. Recently, officials with the International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) have decided they will make a more extensive file available to states who wish to screen for multiple IFTA statuses. Right now, they make a “revoked” file available to the states wishing to screen for revoked IFTA credentials, but these records have significant data quality issues themselves. In its current data quality initiative, Kentucky researchers developed a proof-of-concept data scrubbing process to improve the data quality of the IFTA revoked file. KYTC is now working to implement the data scrubbing process with its daily data processing routines. However, a new file that includes all license statuses (active, canceled, suspended and revoked carriers) will need to be subjected to the same data scrubbing process, which is easier for the researchers to create with an oft-the-shelf data analysis program before analysts and programmers create a finalized product. The scrubbing process is setup to match carriers based on their USDOT numbers for screening purposes. Addressing this problem would help Kentucky measure the accuracy of the IFTA data, enhance communication of problem carriers to enforcement by including suspended and canceled carriers, and enhance data system performance. With the recent creation of the KATS (Kentucky Automated Truck Screening), inSPECT, and the virtual weigh station in Carter County, Kentucky now has three screening systems to go along with its CVIEW. The file structure and data processes for each of these applications are somewhat different. Consequently, the data is not always entirely synchronous. Research is needed to determine how these differences are manifested and to recommend a path forward to the developers so that data processes result in fewer data discrepancies, which confuse and frustrate enforcement officials who are unsure which screening (or inspection) data is to be considered definitive. Addressing this problem would help Kentucky promote efficient system communication, enhance the clarity if not the accuracy of the data exchanged, and prevent system corruption and performance degradation. Another recent data quality issue pertains to the synchronization of SAFER data with the Licensing and Insurance (L&I) data. As FMCSA continues plans to finish development of the Unified Registration System, it will be important for states to begin troubleshooting data quality issues internally, as well as data quality issues in other states, to ensure the safety and credentialing data is properly linked across both systems. Other data quality issues will likely arise as the year progresses. The research team needs the ability to troubleshoot these problems, recommend solutions, assist developers building these systems, converse with officials in other states, participate in national data quality calls, and create documentation of project activities. III. OBJECTIVES 1. Improve the data quality of SAFER uploads. 2. Improve existing IRP data management and SAFER transmission. 3. Create a new process for cleaning up the improved IFTA data file and include it in screening data and CVIEW data. 4. Synchronize data across Kentucky’s screening systems and CVIEW. 5. Continue to monitor data quality issues as needed.