Metro-North Railroad Facial Recognition Function

Posted: August 25th, 2021

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Metro-North Railroad Facial Recognition Function

Metro-North Railroad is a major suburban commuter rail service which allows people to travel to and from the New York City and most of the northern suburbs. The city has a population of over eight million people, and this means that the railroad serves hundreds of commuters on a daily basis. The traditional ticketing model is major a challenge which explains the chronic congestion that is experienced as commuters wait to board the trains. A remedy to this problem is the adoption of facial recognition function on the basis of QR code scanning. This is a key step towards developing business agility. The primary benefit of this technology is the convenience brought to both commuters and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) which runs the railroad. For the project implementation, scrum is mandatory and it entails the definition of MVP, milestones, and added value for each of the six sprints. 

MVP, Milestones, and Added Value

Minimum viable product (MVP) refers to the version of a product which generates the highest learning insights from the customers without much effort. Milestone, on the other hand, is the immediate goal that is to be achieved after an action. The added value refers to the positive differences that are accrued in the product improvement process. MVP, milestones, and added value are three key variables which are inherent in each of the project’s six sprints.  

The Six Sprints

1. Sprint Planning

This sprint, which is a time-box of about a week, brings together the scrum team which plans on how the project will be executed. At this point in time, there is no product, and hence, no MVP. However, the milestone is the generation of a realistic and time-bound work schedule. The added value is the plan which envisions the transformation of the Metro-North Railroad through facial recognition function.   

• Daily Scrums

These are15-minute time-boxed events during which meetings to plan ahead are held. The MVP for this sprint is the upshot of the meetings, for instance, synchronized activities. The milestone is a daily plan for project execution. The added value is the progressive planning each day.  

• The Development Work

In this sprint, the facial recognition function on the basis of QR code scanning is developed. A one-week time-box is needed. The MV is a facial recognition app which utilizes sharp high-speed infrared lights cameras. The milestone is the successful facial recognition of a human face. The added value is the change from the planning stage to project execution through product development.

• The Sprint Review

This sprint is a time-box of approximately one week during which the developed product is checked for strengths and weaknesses. The MVP is the high-speed infrared lights cameras installed in strategic areas at the Metro-North Railroad stations. The milestone is the successful facial recognition of commuters at the stations. The added value is the ability of the cameras to function at the stations.  

• Sprint Retrospective

It involves the holding of regular meetings to make improvements. The MVP is the high-speed infrared lights cameras with defects. The milestone is the identification of the defects. The added value is the hitches identified and which will be addressed to enhance the cameras.   

• Sprint Deliverable Product

In this final sprint, the final product is developed. The MVP is the high-speed infrared lights cameras without defects. The milestone is the seamless and successful facial recognition of commuters at the stations. The added value is defect-free cameras.  

Conclusion

The adoption of the facial recognition function on the basis of QR code scanning is a scrum project. It has the potential of transforming business agility. For example, once embraced, ticketing and congestion problems will be resolved. The MVP, milestones, and added value for each of the six sprints differ given that the project implementation is a progressive process.