Case Study

How HCTRA and BDO Transformed Toll Operations While Retaining Employees

SUMMARY/OVERVIEW

How HCTRA and BDO Transformed Toll Operations While Retaining Employees

By 2020, technology was already well on its journey to replacing cash transactions with digital payments. Restrictions intended to stop the spread of COVID — especially limits on person-to-person contact — accelerated the process, driving many industries to adopt systems that replaced manual cash handling with digital payment methods. On our nation’s toll roads, this shift often took the form of license plate readers that fed user information to online sites where users could pay their bills or buy toll tags, eliminating the need for cash collection at toll booths.

In Texas, the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) processed a tremendous number of daily transactions, creating the need for a solution to improve speed, efficiency, and accuracy. To address this, HCTRA planned to integrate artificial intelligence with a web application that assumed some of the tasks previously handled by human toll booth workers. As AI-assisted transaction processing and auditing replaced cash-handling and manual reviews, HCTRA sought ways to retain valuable and experienced employees while driving innovation.

Key Takeaways

Trained staff

Trained experienced staff for new in-house opportunities

Transaction accuracy

Achieved 99.996% transaction accuracy and faster processing

Toll road birds eye view
The Challenge

AI Integration and Workforce Redeployment

HCTRA manages more than 100 miles of toll roads in the Houston area and throughout the state, processing over 2 million transactions daily. Each transaction occurs when a vehicle travels through a toll plaza, triggering equipment to read its RFID tag, take photographs of the vehicle, and then matches the tag to the license plate. 

Before COVID, more than 100 auditors manually verified transactions for accuracy, reviewing less than 1% of the daily volume. During COVID, HCTRA continued to blend technology with human workers by providing auditors with equipment that allowed them to work from home. After COVID, HCTRA faced several major challenges: transitioning to a cashless payment system, improving auditing efficiency and accuracy, and retraining toll booth operators for more relevant positions including auditing. 

Technology for AI app
The Approach

Developing an Innovative Workflow

Before engaging our team, HCTRA had begun reviewing and implementing new ideas to address their need for improved speed, efficiency, and accuracy. Upon engagement, we developed a web-based application that integrated with AI solutions already in place and provided the best workflow for employees. We designed the AI application to:

  • Generate transaction records as vehicles passed through toll plazas
  • Flag exceptions that require human review
  • Filter the exceptions based on employee skill sets
  • Assign transactions to the most qualified employee 

Under the new process, human auditors complete the following tasks:

  • Validate transactions
  • Review and resolve exceptions
  • Spot check AI results throughout the day

Our team also helped develop the training materials used to prepare employees for new opportunities within the organization.

Highways intersecting
The Results

Reaching the Finish Line with AI

Our team’s contributions helped HCTRA overcome its three major challenges, while delivering additional benefits to the organization, its employees, and its customers. 

Using the AI solution developed with our team, HCTRA has:

  • Increased transaction processing speed
  • Achieved a 99.996% accuracy in transaction processing 
  • Streamlined data collection and analysis
  • Improved efficiency by routing tasks to the best qualified staff
  • Reskilled existing staff to work with the new AI-driven processes
  • Improved customer experience by reducing errors  

From start to finish, our team supported HCTRA’s plan to adopt technology and AI solutions while strengthening its workforce. We approached each opportunity with fresh ideas and holistic perspectives, considering both step-by-step actions and overarching goals. The success of this project demonstrates the effectiveness of AI advancements amid workforce innovation.

“At BDO, we know that successful development and implementation of AI solutions start with people. By empowering our clients’ workforce alongside advanced technology, we help them meet essential challenges and achieve measurable impact.”
Maurice Liddell
Market Leader and Lead Relationship Principal

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