Incident: Bike-Share Program Delayed Due to Software Glitches and Dispute

Published Date: 2012-08-17

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident for the bike-share program in New York City happened in the spring of 2013 [14043].
System 1. 8D Technologies software supplied for successful programs in Boston and Washington [14043] 2. New operating code for the bike-share program in New York City [14043]
Responsible Organization 1. 8D Technologies supplied the software for the bike-share program in New York City, which encountered software problems leading to the delay in the program's launch [14043].
Impacted Organization 1. Cyclists in New York City [14043] 2. Alta Bicycle Share and its partner, Public Bike System Company [14043]
Software Causes 1. The software problems were attributed to delays in the bike-share program launch in New York City, as mentioned by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg [14043]. 2. The software glitches were linked to a dispute between the Public Bike System Company and 8D Technologies, the software supplier, which led to delays in the program's implementation [14043]. 3. The change in technology suppliers from 8D to a new supplier for cities like New York and Chattanooga was a significant factor in the software-related delays [14043]. 4. The new operating code, which included aspects like Internet transactions and locks at bike-share stations, needed time to be developed and tested, contributing to the software issues [14043].
Non-software Causes 1. Financial penalties for the company were unlikely despite the delay, suggesting a non-software cause [14043]. 2. Delays in the program in other cities like Chicago and Chattanooga were also attributed to software problems, indicating a broader issue beyond just software [14043].
Impacts 1. The much-anticipated bike-share program in New York City was delayed until the following year, disappointing cyclists and the public who were eager to use the new transportation alternative [14043]. 2. The original plan for the program, which included a partial rollout in the summer and expansion to 10,000 bikes and 600 stations by the following summer, had to be revised due to the software problems, causing a setback in the program's implementation timeline [14043]. 3. The delay in the program's launch potentially affected the public perception and political implications leading up to the mayoral election, as cycling could become a more significant issue with the delayed start of the bike-share program [14043]. 4. The software failure incident led to the severing of ties between the Public Bike System Company and 8D Technologies, the software supplier, which had successful programs in other cities like Boston and Washington. This change in technology providers contributed to the delays in implementing the bike-share program in New York City [14043].
Preventions 1. Conducting thorough testing of the software before the planned launch date could have potentially prevented the software failure incident [14043]. 2. Ensuring clear communication and coordination between all parties involved in the software development and implementation process, such as the software supplier, the bike-share program operator, and the city officials, could have helped in identifying and addressing any issues early on [14043]. 3. Implementing a contingency plan in case of software glitches or delays could have mitigated the impact of the failure incident and allowed for a smoother transition to the new technology [14043].
Fixes 1. Implementing a new operating code to address the software issues, including Internet transactions and locks at bike-share stations [14043]. 2. Resolving the dispute between the Public Bike System Company and 8D Technologies, the software supplier, to ensure a successful implementation of the bike-share program [14043].
References 1. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg [14043] 2. Janette Sadik-Khan, the transportation commissioner [14043] 3. Isabelle Bettez, the chief executive of 8D Technologies [14043] 4. Alison Cohen, the president of Alta Bicycle Share [14043] 5. Paul Steely White, the executive director of Transportation Alternatives [14043] 6. John C. Liu, the city comptroller [14043]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident related to the bike-share program in New York City was attributed to software problems with the supplier 8D Technologies. The article mentions that 8D Technologies supplied the software for successful programs in other cities like Boston and Washington. However, the software problems encountered in New York City and Chattanooga led to delays in the program launch [14043]. (b) The software failure incident with the bike-share program in New York City also had implications beyond just one organization. The article mentions that Alta Bicycle Share, the operator of the program, had encountered delays in other cities as well. For example, Chicago's program was delayed until the next spring, and Chattanooga's program also faced delays due to software problems. This indicates that similar software issues had occurred at multiple organizations implementing bike-share programs [14043].
Phase (Design/Operation) design (a) The software failure incident in the article was related to the design phase. The delays and issues with the bike-share program were attributed to software problems, specifically with the software not working as expected. Mayor Bloomberg mentioned, "The software doesn’t work," and emphasized the need for the software to function properly before launching the program [14043]. (b) The software failure incident was not directly related to the operation phase or misuse of the system. The primary focus was on the software problems and delays in launching the bike-share program due to issues with the software development and implementation [14043].
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident related to the bike-share program in New York City was primarily attributed to software problems within the system. Mayor Bloomberg mentioned that the software didn't work, leading to the delay in the program's launch [14043]. The issues with the software were acknowledged by city officials, and efforts were made to address them internally by working with a new software supplier to resolve the remaining issues with the operating code [14043]. (b) outside_system: There is no specific mention in the articles about the software failure incident being caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system. The focus of the reports is primarily on the internal software problems and the efforts to address them within the system [14043].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions, human_actions (a) The software failure incident in the bike-share program was attributed to non-human actions, specifically software problems. Mayor Bloomberg mentioned that the software was not working, leading to the delay in the program's launch [14043]. (b) The software failure incident was also influenced by human actions. The decision to switch software suppliers and the subsequent need to write new code from scratch contributed to the delays in the program's rollout. Additionally, the decision-making process regarding the software and timeline involved human actions and decisions [14043].
Dimension (Hardware/Software) software (a) The software failure incident in the article was not attributed to hardware issues but rather to software problems. Mayor Bloomberg specifically mentioned, "The software doesn’t work," as the reason for the delay in the bike-share program [14043]. (b) The software failure incident was directly linked to software problems. Mayor Bloomberg stated, "The software doesn’t work," and emphasized the need for the software to function properly before launching the program [14043]. The delays and issues mentioned in the article all point to software-related challenges, such as the need to work out remaining issues with the new operating code, internet transactions, and locks at bike-share stations [14043].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident in this case does not seem to be malicious. It was attributed to software problems and glitches that caused delays in the launch of the bike-share program in New York City. Mayor Bloomberg mentioned that the software simply did not work, leading to the decision to postpone the program until the issues were resolved [14043]. (b) The software failure incident appears to be non-malicious in nature. The delays and issues were primarily caused by software problems and glitches, rather than any intentional actions to harm the system. The delays were attributed to software issues related to the new technology being implemented for the bike-share program, such as Internet transactions and locks at bike-share stations. The decision to delay the launch was aimed at ensuring a flawless start to the program, indicating a non-malicious intent to address the software issues [14043].
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions, accidental_decisions (a) The software failure incident in the article was primarily due to poor decisions. The delay in the launch of the bike-share program was attributed to software problems, with Mayor Bloomberg stating, "The software doesn’t work." The delays were caused by software glitches related to a dispute between the Public Bike System Company and 8D Technologies, the software supplier. The decision to switch software suppliers and the subsequent issues with the new technology contributed to the delays in the program launch [14043]. (b) Additionally, there were accidental decisions or unintended consequences that led to the software failure incident. The city officials were not anticipating that the new code would need to be written "from scratch" when informed about a new software supplier. This lack of foresight regarding the complexity and time required for developing the new operating code contributed to the delays in resolving the software issues [14043].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) development_incompetence (a) The software failure incident in the bike-share program in New York City was attributed to software problems, specifically mentioned by Mayor Bloomberg as "The software doesn’t work" [14043]. The delays in the program were linked to software glitches and issues with the software supplier, 8D Technologies, which supplied the software for successful programs in other cities like Boston and Washington [14043]. The software issues were significant enough to cause delays and necessitated a new operating code to be developed from scratch, indicating a level of development incompetence or lack of professional competence in handling the software challenges [14043]. (b) The software failure incident does not seem to be attributed to accidental factors but rather to deliberate decisions and actions related to software development and supplier relationships.
Duration temporary (a) The software failure incident in the case of the New York City bike-share program was temporary. The delay in the program's launch was attributed to software problems, with Mayor Bloomberg mentioning that "the software doesn’t work" and expressing hope that by the spring, "hopefully the software will work" [14043]. The software glitches were linked to a dispute between the Public Bike System Company and 8D Technologies, the software supplier, which led to delays in the program's rollout [14043]. Additionally, the city became aware of the software issues in the spring and allowed more time to work out the remaining issues with the new operating code, indicating that the software failure was not permanent but rather a temporary setback [14043].
Behaviour crash, omission, timing, value, other (a) crash: The software failure incident in the article is related to a crash where the system is not performing its intended functions. The Mayor mentioned, "The software doesn’t work," indicating a system crash [14043]. (b) omission: The software failure incident can also be related to omission where the system is omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s). The delay in the bike-share program launch was due to software problems, leading to the omission of the system's intended functions [14043]. (c) timing: The software failure incident can be associated with timing, where the system is performing its intended functions correctly but too late or too early. The delay in the launch of the bike-share program due to software problems reflects a timing issue [14043]. (d) value: The software failure incident can be linked to a value failure where the system is performing its intended functions incorrectly. The Mayor's statement, "The software doesn’t work," suggests that the software is not functioning as intended, indicating a value failure [14043]. (e) byzantine: The software failure incident does not directly indicate a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions. The primary issue mentioned is related to software problems causing delays in the program launch [14043]. (f) other: The software failure incident can be categorized as a delay in the system's performance, leading to a failure to meet the expected timeline for the bike-share program launch. This delay could be considered as a unique behavior not explicitly described in the options (a to e) [14043].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence delay, theoretical_consequence (a) unknown (b) unknown (c) unknown (d) unknown (e) The consequence of the software failure incident reported in the news article was a delay in the launch of New York City's bike-share program. Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg mentioned that the program would not begin until the following year due to software problems, leading to the postponement of the much-anticipated public travel alternative [14043]. (f) unknown (g) unknown (h) Theoretical consequences discussed included potential financial penalties for the company responsible for the bike-share program, Alta Bicycle Share, due to the delays caused by software problems. However, the city's comments suggested that such penalties were unlikely to be imposed [14043]. (i) unknown
Domain transportation (a) The failed system was related to the transportation industry, specifically the bike-share program in New York City [14043]. The software problems mentioned by Mayor Bloomberg delayed the launch of the program, which was intended to provide a public travel alternative through the use of bikes. The software glitches affected the implementation timeline and required the involvement of various parties to address the issues before the program could be launched successfully.

Sources

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