Improving journeys by opening data: the case of Transport for London (TfL)

Smarter Open Government Data for Society 5.0: Are Your Open Data Smart Enough?

Nowadays, governments launch open government data (OGD) portals that provide data that can be accessed and used by everyone for their own needs. Although the potential economic value of open (government) data is assessed in millions and billions, not all open data are reused. Moreover, the open (government) data initiative as well as users' intent for open (government) data are changing continuously and today, in line with IoT and smart city trends, real-time data and sensor-generated data have higher interest for users. These "smarter" open (government) data are also considered to be one of the crucial drivers for the sustainable economy, and might have an impact on information and communication technology (ICT) innovation and become a creativity bridge in developing a new ecosystem in Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0. The paper inspects OGD portals of 60 countries in order to understand the correspondence of their content to the Society 5.0 expectations. The paper provides a report on how much countries provide these data, focusing on some open (government) data success facilitating factors for both the portal in general and data sets of interest in particular. The presence of "smarter" data, their level of accessibility, availability, currency and timeliness, as well as support for users, are analyzed. The list of most competitive countries by data category are provided. This makes it possible to understand which OGD portals react to users' needs, Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0 request the opening and updating of data for their further potential reuse, which is essential in the digital data-driven world.

Exploratory Data Analysis and Data Envelopment Analysis of Urban Rail Transit

This paper deals with the efficiency and sustainability of urban rail transit (URT) using exploratory data analytics (EDA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA). The first stage of the proposed methodology is EDA with already available indicators (e.g., the number of stations and passengers), and suggested indicators (e.g., weekly frequencies, link occupancy rates, and CO2 footprint per journey) to directly characterize the efficiency and sustainability of this transport mode. The second stage is to assess the efficiency of URT with two original models, based on a thorough selection of input and output variables, which is one of the key contributions of EDA to this methodology. The first model compares URT against other urban transport modes, applicable to route personalization, and the second scores the efficiency of URT lines. The main outcome of this paper is the proposed methodology, which has been experimentally validated using open data from the Transport for London (TfL) URT network and additional sources.

Artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic marketing decision-making: a research agenda

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review literature about the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in strategic situations and identify the research that is needed in the area of applying AI to strategic marketing decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach was to carry out a literature review and to consult with marketing experts who were invited to contribute to the paper.

Findings

There is little research into applying AI to strategic marketing decision-making. This research is needed, as the frontier of AI application to decision-making is moving in many management areas from operational to strategic. Given the competitive nature of such decisions and the insights from applying AI to defence and similar areas, it is time to focus on applying AI to strategic marketing decisions.

Research limitations/implications

The application of AI to strategic marketing decision-making is known to be taking place, but as it is commercially sensitive, data is not available to the authors.

Practical implications

There are strong implications for all businesses, particularly large businesses in competitive industries, where failure to deploy AI in the face of competition from firms, who have deployed AI to improve their decision-making could be dangerous.

Social implications

The public sector is a very important marketing decision maker. Although in most cases it does not operate competitively, it must make decisions about making different services available to different citizens and identify the risks of not providing services to certain citizens; so, this paper is relevant to the public sector.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first papers to probe deployment of AI in strategic marketing decision-making.

Geospatial data in the UK

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the rise of geospatial data, its importance for business and some of the problems associated with its development and use.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews a certain amount of previously published literature but is based mainly on analysis of the very large number of responses to a consultation paper on geospatial data published by the UK Government.

Findings

The findings are that while there is strong appreciation of the potential benefits of using geospatial data, there are many barriers to the development, sharing and use of geospatial data, ranging from problems of incompatibility in data definitions and systems to regulatory issues. The implication for governments and for providers and users of geospatial data relates to the need to take a long-term approach to planning in resolving the issues identified.

Research limitations/implications

The research findings are limited to the UK, but similar findings would be likely in any other large Western country.

Practical implications

This paper confirms the need for a strong and coherent approach to the planning of geospatial data and systems for the establishment of a clear basis for the different parties to work together and the need to clearly separate the roles of the government in establishing frameworks and standards and the role of the private sector in developing applications and solutions.

Social implications

Society is increasingly dependent on the use of geospatial data, in improving living standards and dealing with social problems. The recommendations identified in this paper, if followed, will facilitate these improvements.

Originality/value

The value of this paper is the tight synthesis that it provides of a wide ranging and complex range of responses to the UK Government consultation and placing these responses in the wider context of the development of geospatial data.

The making of information nations

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the main characteristics of what have come to be called information nations and to identify some of the determinants of success in becoming an information nation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a critical review of the literature and of secondary data on information technology and services from studies of the innovativeness of nations.

Findings

Success in becoming an information nation is not necessarily closely connected with investments in information technology and services by firms and policies supporting these investments by governments, or with education policies designed to support the development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Other factors, such as the vibrancy of capitalism, particularly the funding of new ventures, the culture of the nation and its focus on non-scientific determinants of innovation, such as design, are also important. Governments should be careful not to take credit for achievements when their policies are merely coincident with those achievements.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitations relate to the focus of this article on two sets of nations, South East/East Asia and two Western nations. The review of their performance is relatively high level and needs to be deepened, while the number of nations included in the research needs to be increased.

Practical implications

This paper has substantial practical implications for government policymakers, in terms of whether and how they should make policy at all in this area, and for companies trying to establish a long-term position in the global economy, in terms of being careful not to go against the very strong economic forces which favour certain kinds of activities in certain countries.

Social implications

This paper has significant social implications, because much of the thinking about developing information societies relies on generalisations about the creation of information nations that may not hold. Governments and social commentators are encouraged to approach the idea of making “big policies” in this area with some scepticism.

Originality/value

The content of this paper is not original, but the challenge to policymakers is relatively original, as too often the work of academics is sponsored by governments that are trying to legitimate the value of their own efforts.

Information management in the smart city

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate information management in a smart city. It identifies the main trends in progress and how innovation in information technology is helping all those in the smart city ecosystem in terms of generating new sources of data and connecting them. It investigates how information management in the smart city may go through several phases, but contests the notion that the co-ordinated information management that is the dream of many city managers is an appropriate vision, given the tendency in the private sector for competing information platforms to develop, giving value in different ways.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper has been written by using a combination of academic insight and literature, extensive research of relevant grey literature (e.g. blogs and industry press) and interviews and interaction with some of the organisations involved in developing and implementing the smart city concept, including public transport organisations, other data providers, analysts and systems and sensor suppliers.

Findings

Smart city concepts are evolving in different ways, with divergence of views which involves centralisation and control of information by city authorities and a more democratic view in which the information is managed on different platforms between which smart city stakeholders can choose.

Research limitations/implications

The research method is exploratory. Validating the findings would require a more structured approach in which stakeholders of all kinds are consulted.

Practical implications

All organisational stakeholders in the idea and delivery of smart cities need to consider how their interests in smart city information and those of other stakeholders are evolving and to what extent they should be in partnership with other members of the ecosystem in generating and using the information.

Social implications

Individuals, whether workers, commuters, shoppers, tourists or others, will be greatly affected by the evolution of smart city information, and their choices about whether to be smart themselves will have an important effect on the benefits they receive from city smartening and on the viability of the smart cities.

Originality/value

Little research has been carried out into the different choices organisations and individuals have in terms of how they will relate to smart city information and how they can manage it. This research makes a start on this task.