Right of Way and Utilities Management System (RUMS)

The Client

The Right of Way and Utilities (RW&U) Division of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) procures land rights of way and easements for road construction and expansion projects. The division is responsible for appraising and acquiring rights of way; removing building structures and other improvements; relocating utilities, businesses and families; and tracking residue parcels and surplus rights of way for public sale or lease. VDOT, which manages numerous highway projects and land parcel transactions each year, was hampered in its efforts to operate its RW&U Division efficiently.

The Challenge

RW&U Division needed a new approach to managing its complex information. VDOT wanted software that would provide leaders with a single, comprehensive view of project and land parcel status and enable them to track key dates more efficiently. Other requirements included automated creation and storage of forms and letters, an intuitive user interface, ad hoc reporting capabilities, and an interface with other VDOT systems.

The Solution

We listened carefully to VDOT’s RW&U Division before developing a customized solution, the Right of Way and Utilities Management System (RUMS), to help manage its business processes cost-effectively and efficiently. Through managed-services support, we also addressed user questions and suggestions and performed hundreds of functional and technical improvements since completing the implementation. In short, we have maintained RUMS as a functionally and technically up-to-date solution for VDOT.

The Benefits

BearingPoint’s solution provided VDOT personnel at all levels with the ability to quickly determine the Right of Way status of highway construction and maintenance projects, dispose of land parcels, and manage family, business and utility relocation. Through a highly innovative portal-like interface, VDOT staff has access to consistent information from a universal source that supports the agency’s policies and procedures. This interface features status-at-a-glance icons that reinforce management’s focus on meeting key dates. RUMS has greatly improved work flow while expediting processes. It enables management to shift resources as priorities change, ensuring timely and cost-effective completion of highway projects.

“RUMS provides VDOT employees around the state with a solution they have come to rely on to provide up-to-date project statuses. It is a vital tool, enabling us to keep projects on schedule and meet advertisement dates.?—C.L. GRIGGS, JR. Special Projects Manager, VDOT

View/Download the VDOT RW&U Division Case Study