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Empowering Transportation Planning: How PMG's STIP Core Revolutionizes State DOT Project Planning and Programming

Chad Danz, CEO, PMG Software Professionals

Transportation Planning Shaper

Editor’s Note: Transportation agencies need planning platforms that simplify complex funding, approval and collaboration processes while improving transparency for stakeholders and the public. Chad Danz’s perspective demonstrates how configurable geospatial technology can help transportation professionals modernize project planning, strengthen coordination and deliver infrastructure programs with greater efficiency and accountability.

In an ever-evolving world, one thing is consistent: our need to move. Commercial and personal travel are at the basis of day-to-day American culture, yet they are altogether unachievable without the meticulous maintenance of our roads. At the heart of this endeavor are state Departments of Transportation (DOTs), charged with the complex tasks of maintaining, improving, and expanding roadways. Recognizing the scale and importance of this responsibility, PMG Software Professionals (PMG) has dedicated itself to supporting DOTs with innovative solutions. For fifteen years, PMG has been a trusted partner to DOTs across the United States, offering tailored products that simplify the complex processes required to both maintain and enhance high-quality transportation infrastructure. Central to this offering is PMG’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) software that transforms how DOTs plan, approve, and manage transportation projects.

Productization: Stip Core

In recent years, PMG has evolved from a purely professional services company to a product-centric company, all while maintaining its commitment to exceptional service quality. This shift in focus has introduced STIP Core, a foundational product suite designed for federally mandated roadway planning with a tried-and-true design. STIP Core combines each state’s necessary elements for STIP planning—visual (map), budgets, projects, workflows, reports— into an interactive system where projects can be created and processed through the necessary stages of approval. While its design and functionality are grounded in proven practices from existing partnerships, STIP Core is more than just a compilation of previous work. It’s a versatilesolution, composed of STIP Manager,and STIP Viewer, with add on integrations of a FMIS Module for Federal Aid Project obligations and TIP Manager to create and manage TIPs specific to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) that provides a foundation of reliable software which can be built upon for the unique needs of each state and MPO.

The PMG Difference: Stip Manager

While PMG is not the only company in the transportation software market, there is a clear “PMG Difference” in their STIP products—a unique melding of visualization, streamlined communication, and state-specific enhancements. STIP Manager serves as the hub application in STIP Core, for it is the application where the creation, amending, and reporting occur. Backed by an Esri-based map, STIP Manager is a visual experience, with an interactive map, legend, and icons on initial display and made continually available throughout its use.

The integration of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, based on Esri’s Roads and Highways software, combined with overlayed STIP data, provides users with a visually rich and accurate representation of data from the application.

In such a dynamic environment, collaboration between parties is not only possible but consciously fostered. STIP Manager is designed to provide relevant access to STIP data, enhancing conversations on STIP projects and funding both within the DOT and with its MPOs and COGs. The application accomplishes this through user permissions which offer full or limited access to the system. A separate application, known as the TIP Manager, also increases control of STIP data, specifically for MPOs and COGs, placing all funding for their areas of responsibility in a single location and connecting any project changes made back to the overall plan in STIP Manager. TIP Manager can be implemented as an integrated experience with STIP Manager or it can be implemented as a standalone application for an MPO. Reaching even further, STIP Manager is equipped with a module for integrating with the Federal Fiscal Management Information System (FMIS). This module serves as a critical tool for managing the complex financial and regulatory aspects of federally funded transportation projects, ensuring that public funds are used efficiently and in accordance with Federal law. This comprehensive design improves the complex process of shaping each state’s STIP window.

PMG empowers state and local transportation agencies with innovative, scalable software solutions that simplify complex processes, foster collaboration, and drive transparency, enabling the efficient planning, funding, and execution of infrastructure projects that keep America moving.


While STIP Manager provides a strong basis for STIP creation, it is far from a rigid product of assumed adequacy. In STIP Manager, the configurable fields, legend layers, and code lists are just the beginning of its extensive capabilities. PMG is distinguished as an exceptional vendor by their emphasis on leveraging the state DOT’s workflow and specifications without compromising core functionality and scalability.

Public Transparency: Stip Viewer

STIP Viewer is the second key component of the STIP Core suite. This product targets the public facing side of the STIP process, increasing visibility by publishing the latest approved STIP information in map, tabular, and report formats and offering a clear view on the DOT’s plans for infrastructure projects. Ultimately, this provides data transparency for both the general public and external stakeholders and cultivates engagement through public comment periods. The user-friendly interface makes it easy for the public to stay informed and involved in future roadway plans.

Stip Planning The PMG Way

The PMG STIP Core suite of products—STIP Manager,STIP Viewer, TIP Manager (supporting specific TIP Viewers) and FMIS Module—not only eases the process of STIP creation from initial project development to final approval, but it also fosters communication between all necessary parties. STIP Manager facilitates funding allocation for the DOT, MPOs, and COGs through tailored user interfaces. Once projects are established and approved, STIP Viewer (and TIP Viewer) can be updated, making it accessible to external stakeholders and the public for review and feedback. This feedback is then incorporated into the STIP as needed. STIP Core represents a step forward in transportation software, consistently exceeding expectations and delivering exceptional results. Looking ahead, PMG anticipates implementing additional enhancements and applications to the STIP Core suite of products to further integrate other critical DOT, MPO, and COG workflows and processes.

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The articles from these contributors are based on their personal expertise and viewpoints, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employers or affiliated organizations.