Experts Talk: Technology Investments that Pay Off With Keyur Shah

Experts Talk is an interview series with technical leaders from across our transportation program.

How Asset-Intensive Agencies Can Smartly Navigate AI and Digital Transformation

Many asset-intensive agencies, from state departments of transportation to transit systems, airports, water and utilities, operate with a mix of aging software, fragmented data and growing pressure to “do something with Artificial Intelligence (AI).” But finding the best technology solution goes beyond buying the right product. 

Keyur Shah has helped more than 80 public agencies across North America align their people, processes, data and technology. He has led our digital advisory practice since it was formally established in 2021, one of the first dedicated practices of its kind in the industry. Keyur’s philosophy is rooted in understanding how organizations operate, not just which tools they use. His team helps turn technology and data from a drag on the organization into a strategic enabler. Their work runs from technology strategy and road mapping through software procurement and implementation oversight, with AI strategy and data governance woven throughout.

In this conversation, Keyur shares how agencies can make effective technology investments leading to meaningful, lasting change.

Q. When clients come to you for help, what problem are they trying to solve? What isn’t working for them?

A. Clients often come to us because their technology isn’t working as well as it should. Often, it’s not just one issue. It’s a combination of outdated systems, disconnected processes and data that doesn’t tell a consistent story.

Many of the agencies we work with are responsible for managing large, complex infrastructure systems, and that requires robust tools. They have thousands of people in the field maintaining roads, bridges, transit systems or airports. That generates a lot of information, but it doesn’t always flow easily or reliably between systems, which means their decisions are made using best judgment, not reliable information.

A common problem is data inconsistency. If you ask five different people from a state department of transportation about when a road project was completed, you might get five different answers. That’s not a technology problem alone. It’s also a governance and process issue. Without a clear source of truth, it becomes difficult to make informed decisions, communicate with stakeholders or build trust with the public.

Another challenge is that many agencies are still relying on systems that are 15 to 20 years old. Those systems may have worked well at one time, but they weren’t designed to integrate modern tools or handle today’s data demands. At the same time, there’s pressure to adopt new technologies like AI. Clients are trying to balance maintaining what they have with investing in what’s next. Most agencies have cycled through three generations of software but are still living with data decisions made in the 1990s. Data deserves the same care as any physical asset.

Q. What’s your advice to agency leaders when it feels like everything needs fixing at once?

A. Start with the problem, not the technology solution.

It’s very tempting to look at a new piece of software and think, “If we buy this, it will solve our issues.” Technology is only part of the equation. The right software helps, but without the right processes it can just as easily become a hindrance. You need clarity on roles and responsibilities, and you need the right data to be collected and used. 

We encourage leaders to begin by asking a few key questions: What are the biggest pain points in your organization? Where are people spending time on repetitive or manual tasks? Where are decisions being slowed down because of inconsistent or incomplete information?

From there, we look at the organization holistically. That includes the people, the processes they follow, the data they rely on, and the tools they use. Understanding how those elements interact is critical to building an effective strategy. 

Unlike most of what an agency spends money on, technology is largely invisible. Agencies are constantly making tradeoffs. Do we invest in a data system, or do we pave more roads or buy new buses? If you build a road, people can see it. If you improve a data system, the benefit is just as real but far less visible. That makes it harder to justify, even though better data and systems behind the scenes mean fewer outages, faster permitting, more accurate management of assets, and safer infrastructure.  

Q. There’s no shortage of software vendors and consulting firms offering help. How is your approach different?

A. We are not here to sell tools or software. HDR has no reseller agreements and no software implementation group so we have no stake in which product a client picks. Software will be replaced eventually; the data and the strategy behind it are what endures, so that’s what we help clients protect. 

The right time to contact us is when you first sense that your technology, data or processes aren’t keeping up with your mission and vision, before anything goes out for procurement. When we’re involved at the planning stage, we can help an agency understand what it needs, what the market realistically offers, and what it will take organizationally to succeed.

Our team helps create a technology roadmap, a plan forward: Here’s where you are right now. Here’s where you want to be. And here’s how you get there. Then we help you follow that roadmap by putting out a request for proposals, guiding you through the software selection process and ultimately implementation oversight.

For Connecticut DOT, for example, that roadmap became a public strategic technology plan with short-, mid-, and long-term project charters the agency could act on and share openly with the public. That kind of transparency builds trust, which is hard to earn and easy to lose. 

In another example for a major international airport, we ran the full procurement, from defining requirements through evaluating vendors and selecting the right enterprise asset management system for their terminals, runways and facilities.

Q. Every agency feels pressure to “do something with AI.” How do you turn that pressure into a real plan?

A. People tend to arrive at one of two poles. At one end are the optimists, who think AI can solve all their problems tomorrow. At the other are the skeptics, wary because AI can produce confident answers that are simply wrong. Wherever an agency sits, our job is the same – separate where AI genuinely helps from where it doesn’t.

With optimists, we talk about governance and the quality of the data AI depends on. If the data is incomplete, inconsistent or poorly governed, the results will reflect that. It’s easy to become overconfident in AI-generated outputs, so organizations need clear guidelines on how it should be used and where human oversight is required.

With skeptics, we start with practical, everyday use cases like handling repetitive tasks, summarizing information and helping people find what they need faster. Less flashy than the headline-grabbing concepts, but it delivers value immediately.

For one agency, we developed a multi-year AI Action Plan directly as part of their technology master plan which included specific activities, vetted use cases and a structured framework for evaluating new use cases as the technology matures.

Because in the end, AI is just one tool in a broader technology strategy. We start with the core problem, then explore where AI can help deliver value.

Q. Many technology projects fail in adoption, not selection. How do you make change stick?

A. Technology alone doesn’t create change. People do. That’s why we manage the people side as deliberately as technology changes.

When an organization introduces new tools and processes, it often requires changes in how people work. If those changes aren’t managed effectively, the implementation can struggle, regardless of how good the technology is. It’s like handing someone a fancy car without teaching them how to drive.

We start by involving the right stakeholders early in the process. The people who will use the system should have a voice in how it’s set up and implemented. Communication is also critical. Users need to understand why the change is happening, what problems it’s solving, and how it will affect their day-to-day work. Without that clarity, it would be difficult to build support.

Training and ongoing support are equally important. Who will people call if they have a question? Because people will have questions. Introducing a new system isn’t a one-time event. Organizations need to provide resources, answer questions and reinforce change over time.

From a process perspective, new technology often creates an opportunity to improve how work gets done. Instead of simply replicating existing workflows in a new system, we encourage clients to rethink those processes and look for ways to make them more efficient.

On the data side, we help establish governance practices that create consistency and reliability. That includes defining ownership, setting standards and creating a structure for maintaining data quality over time.

When all these elements come together, organizations are much more likely to see real benefits from their investments. 

Inspiration & Advice

Q. How did you get involved with digital advisory work? 

A. I’m a civil engineer by training, with a master’s degree in construction management. Even while I was pursuing my education, I was fascinated by computer applications and programming. Back then, you still drove AutoCAD largely through typed commands rather than today’s point-and-click interfaces. I remember working with my professors at Texas A&M to consolidate all material testing data to make it easy to access and analyze, before that kind of integration became common.

Then I was lucky enough to get into consulting where I get to work with clients on process improvements, policy and technology solutions. Over the years, I’ve combined my engineering background and my love of technology and built my career around the intersection of the two.
The most rewarding part of this job is hearing that I’ve helped clients make their work easier. 

Q. What advice do you have for people wanting to get involved in digital advisory services?

A. There’s no single path into a digital advisory career and that’s one of the things that makes this field so exciting. The most successful people often bring a mix of experiences, perspectives, and skills gained from different roles and industries. Those diverse skills become a strength. 

My advice is to stay curious, keep learning and continue to develop new skills. The digital landscape is constantly evolving, which means there are always new opportunities to grow and solve problems. 

If you’re passionate about this work, you’ll find your path. The industry needs people who can bridge engineering and technology, and there has never been a better time to start. 

Each Experts Talk interview illuminates a different aspect of transportation infrastructure planning, design and delivery. Check back regularly for new insights from the specialized experts and thought leaders behind our award-winning, full service consulting practice.