Asset management systems run on good data, and the availability of accurate data is critical to the success of an asset management program. Data collection is also one of the largest costs of managing an asset management system. Luckily, the Roadsoft Laptop Data Collector (LDC) combined with the Roadsoft desktop application, can ease the burden and expense of data collection.
The LDC is a portable data collection application designed specifically for collecting roadway asset data from the passenger seat of a moving vehicle. Compatible with most laptops and tablets running Windows, the LDC installation loads the appropriate map and data files from Roadsoft. After attaching a low-cost GPS to the laptop, or using a built-in GPS with a tablet PC, collecting asset data becomes time and cost efficient. Whether our customers are collecting pavement, sign, culvert, or other asset information, the LDC is efficient, convenient, and proven.
Efficient
Using software is challenging from the passenger seat of a moving vehicle. The Roadsoft development team understood this problem, and designed the LDC unlike other pieces of software. Features such as plug-and-play communication between the computer and GPS, fields that fill in automatically during data acquisition, and an extensive range of keyboard shortcuts make collecting data a more efficient process than other methods of data collection.
Convenient
The LDC uses the same map files as Roadsoft, but only requires a small piece of the main database for data collection. This makes data transfer and synchronization simple, quick, and convenient. To collect data while on the go, the LDC connects easily to most GPS units that meet the NMEA 0183 requirements(link is external). With a GPS attached, the LDC keeps track of the coordinates of current and new assets that are in Roadsoft.
Proven
Since 2003, over 300 local and regional road agencies in Michigan and the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) have used the LDC to collect Pavement Surface Evaluation Ratings (PASER). Even though the LDC has been primarily utilized in Michigan, other agencies across the country from Hawaii to Connecticut and several states in-between are using the Roadsoft applications to collect and manage their roadway assets.