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process as described above, as well by private-sector decision recommendations from the beta testing effort were imple-
makers. mented in revising the tool.
The results of the beta testing indicated that the tool is easy to
use with or without a user guide, and easy to navigate. The pro-
6.6 Evaluation of Beta Version
gram is perceived to be easy, direct, and the sequence logical. It
of Tool
was also noted that the interface is clear and easy to understand.
The initial version of the prototype tool was subjected to The User Guide for the tool is also noted to be clear, easy to fol-
beta testing by representatives of all modal stakeholders. low, and straight to the point. However, installing the program
Samples of beta testers were drawn from stakeholder repre- from the email attachments or from CD is generally not very
sentatives who were interviewed and/or responded to the sur- easy. This is not because of the program per se but because of
vey as part of the data collection tasks under this project. Even firewalls and PC security restrictions within the organizations.
though the beta testers were randomly selected, the sample is The general consensus was that the tool provides a struc-
not considered to be statistically representative of the popu- tured handy format and configuration for accessing informa-
lations of the various segments of stakeholders. The objective tion on proven low-cost improvements to address freight
of the beta test was to obtain feedback from potential users on mobility constraints. As standalone software, information con-
the usefulness, user friendliness, and weaknesses of the tool tained in the database is static and cannot be easily updated. A
and on aspects that needed improvement. The software tool, web-based approach with the functionality for updates to the
user guide, and evaluation form were delivered to potential information is recommended to not only facilitate updates and
beta testers by email. Beta testers were asked to install and run render the database dynamic but also to overcome installation
the software tool and provide feedback using the evaluation problems due to the cyber security firewalls implemented by
form. To avoid any biases, beta testers were not given any spe- the IT departments of some agencies that prohibit installation
cific guidance regarding the types of scenarios to run. A blank of unauthorized software. Above all, a web-based approach is
evaluation form is included in Appendix E of this report. The believed to enhance the utility and usefulness of the tool.
