HLES 2017, Warsaw

An approach to IT in a high level event

Agenda

• Step 1 - What to deliver? • Major “features”• At what quality level? • Contract between IOF and NF + ambition level

• IT Quality Requirements

• Step 2 - How to deliver and where to start?• How to set up the project

• A look at requirements• Examples

Speaker: Henning Spjelkavik

• M Sc in Computer Science

• High volume web portals (Skiinfo.no, FINN.no)

• Member of IOF ITC

• Experience• WOC 1997, ESOC 2011, WSOC 2015• Timing, punching and IT since WOC 2004• World Cup 1996, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014• School sprints etc• Arena and tv production in o, ski-o, xc & biathlon• SEA WOC 2013, assistant in 2007, 2008, 2016

Who decides what to deliver?

IT Quality Requirements document (ITQRD)

• The ITQRD does not define what an organiser shall provide• that must be defined in the contract between IOF and the organiser

• The IT Requirements document describe the components/elements that can be part of an IOF major event and the data that flow between the components

• Best practices, IOF Guidelines, Vendor Guidelines etc will be attached the ITQRD.

• The ITQRD will also describe follow-up procedures to be used by the IT ASEA in the quality assurance work.

Why?

• The IT area must support an arena production. Significantly different from a “normal” race

• There are significant costs involved

• Understanding IT requirements help in assessing the budget, and IT requirements may affect important decisions not directly related to the IT area.

• A successful outcome depends on awareness of these factors throughout the event organization

Context

Reference model with interfaces

Follow up – actors involved

Main objectives

1. Fair Competition for Athletes

2. Exciting Live Coverage for Spectators

Fair competition for athletes is the essential priority

The IT Area must produce correct results: Times and Check of Controls visited.

Keywords: Low volume, reliability, correctness, simplicity

By itself this means:

• Accurate time taking

• Avoid incorrect placings due to inaccurate times

• Reliable punching system

• Avoid unjust and unclear disqualifications

• Ensure equal punching conditions for all athletes

• Simple system setup

• No real-time requirements

Mandatory and takes priority!

Exciting Live Coverage for SpectatorsLive coverage comprises Arena Production, Internet coverage, TV, GPS

The complicated part of the setup

Keywords: Real-time, high volume, reliability, complexity

This means:

• Lots of information needs to be “digested” and presented

• Very complex system setup

• High real-time requirements

• No time for “outage” – there is no “second attempt”

• If a component fails, a redundant system must take over “on the fly”

• Clear contingency plans are needed

Live coverage has consequences

• Makes the IT setup very different for a major IOF event compared with a regular mass orienteering competition.

• It is not achieved by “scaling” the familiar IT setup from a “normal” orienteering competition.

• Live coverage implies massive, instant, real-time, requirements for presentation of competition data: radio times, results, TV graphics with running times, internet uploads, etc.

Example requirement, radio timing

• This is an early draft, with some bugs:

Radio controls are usually expected on an high level event, in order to follow the race.

Maximum 1s latency from a runner passes to the result is available for the TV graphics; max 5s for a TV pre-warning

For a TV control, a dedicated link, i.e. cable, fiber or radio network etc. is necessary. GSM has not been proven sufficiently reliable. Manual could be an option!

Results must be available for the speaker system, and for live results on the web within reasonable time (30-60s)

Other news

Approval of Timing Solutions• ITC is working on an approval process for Timing

solutions, to simplify the selection for the organiser and validation for the SEA. • A proposed timing solution for an event that is not listed,

must be documented and assessed by the ITC.

Education of IT ASEABy fall 2017 ITC will start a training program for IT ASEA,

that will coach the organiser and work with follow-up for IT related issues at major IOF Events.

How?

Project management

Project manager / coordinator / Technology Director

Assess How to assemble the teams / componentsWhat to outsourceWhat you handle yourselfHow to recruit competent personnel

Plan necessary training and testing

Get a person into the organisation with experience from a similar event

Project managementImportant traits

Technical understanding

Ability to coordinate (leadership)

Should plan to not do (any) critical steps herselves on a WOC (plan to avoid being on the critical path)

Project managementHave in mind:

Competency and experienceOpportunity costRecruit people - or hire services

MilestonesTestsManage boundaries – clear responsibilitiesRelationship to event director?

Timeline

TestingIf it isn’t tested, it won’t work.

Challenge the team to do enough testing!

How to deliver (“Sourcing”)What to build – what to buy – what to outsource

Home-made IT solutions

Home-made IT solutions

• To be minimised...• if there is a standard, or existing, working solution

• think carefully when developing new things

Domains / services

• Example: Mapping

• Activities• Timekeeping• “Punch control”• Intermediate timing• GPS-tracking• TV-graphics• Entry system for spectators• Accreditation etc management system

• Punching system

Models

• Buy a service

• Do it yourself – rent/borrow equipment

• Do it yourself – rent/borrow equipment and hire a consultant

• Define clearly - Who takes responsibility for the end result?

Buy a service

• Some companies/groups can provide all of the above in one package

• Cost

• You need to supply some manpower

• Internal coordination is on the provider

• Clear contract and understand of the boundaries

Rent equipment

Rent the equipment from provider(s)

Operate yourself

Rent equipment and consultant

The organisers people still lead, operate and execute

Foto: Geir Nilsen/Langrenn.com.

Align and follow up

• Be certain that you have agreed on who does what, when and at which levelof quality

• Milestones• Some are given by the IOF process, event plan and bulletins• But you need your own as well• WOC 2016 – Training events, drawing etc

• Technology Checklist exists (2015), further material will be developed for theIT ASEA role

Broadcast TV

Really, really consider the risks of using teams delivering data to TV without experience

Risk vs cost

ImplementationSome alternatives

Timekeeping

• Both orienteer – and non-orienteer companies/clubs

• Does not need to know orienteering

“Punch control” – Event administration

• Orienteering domain

• Some companies/groups can provide both

• Cost

• You need to supply some manpower

• Coordination is on the provider

Intermediate timing

• ROC – Raspberry pie• http://olresultat.se/blog/?page_id=148

• jSh - http://radio.jsh.de/

• Several based on RACOM++

• Emit: eLink

• +++

GPS tracking

• GPSseuranta (WOC 2010-2014)

• TracTrac (WOC 2008, World Games)

• Estonian

• Loggator (Bulgarian/Norwegian)

• Polish

• Hungarian (WOC 2009)

Administrative tasks – event preprocessing

This is usually done by people in the organisation; coordinatingaccreditation, entry lists, exports from Eventor, verification/registrationof entry or group allocation forms, start draw

Some of the tasks might be outsourced to the results provider

Clear responsibilities needed

Alpha Draft Task checklist, page 1

ExamplesHow did the last WOCs solve this problem?

WOC 2008 OlomoucService Solution Notes

Timekeeping (start+finish) Slovak timing company (VOS-TPK)

Non-orienteers, paid

“Punch control” Czech expert group Orienteers, clubs in the region. Czech software

Spectator race result service Organisers

Radio timing Czech expert group Orienteers, Using Racomequipment + SI

TV graphics Czech company (Akisport/Hego)

Long relation with producer. XC-skiing.

GPS Tracking TracTrac Orienteer, paid

Accreditation, athlete management

Web-based database solution Organisers

TV producer Karel Jonak Long relation with o

WOC 2010 TrondheimService Solution Notes

Timekeeping Organisers Orienteers

“Punch control” Organisers + 1 hired expert Orienteers

Radio timing Organisers Orienteers

TV graphics Finnish o-solution Orienteers, paid for

GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteers, paid for

Accreditation, booking management

Local solution; partly manual; access database; excel etc

Organisers

TV producer Olli Härkki Long relation with o

WOC 2012 LausanneService Solution Notes

Timekeeping Leibundgut Orienteers, paid for

“Punch control” Leibundgut Orienteers, paid for

Radio timing Leibundgut + Specialist club Orienteers, paid for, RACOM-based

TV graphics Leibundgut Orienteers, paid for

GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteers, paid for

Accreditation, booking management

N Russi Orienteers, paid for

TV producer Armand ... Some relation with o

WOC 2013 VuokattiService Solution Notes

Timekeeping ResultFellows++ Orienteers, paid for

“Punch control” ResultFellows++ Orienteers, paid for

Radio timing ResultFellows++ Orienteers, paid for

TV graphics Finnish o-solution Orienteers, paid for

GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteers, paid for

Accreditation, booking management

Local solution; partly manual; access database; excel etc

Organisers

TV producer Olli Härkki Long relation with o

WOC 2014 LavaroneService Solution Notes

Timekeeping Local timing company, Chronometry

Non-orienteering

“Punch control” Czech expert group Orienteers, external club

Spectator race result service Organisers + hired expert

Radio timing Czech expert group Using Racom equipment

TV graphics Czech company (Hego) Long relation with producer. XC-skiing.

GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Orienteer

Accreditation, booking management

Manual; excel etc + web application

Organisers

TV producer Karel Jonak Long relation with o

WSOC 2015 BudorService Solution Notes

Timekeeping EQtiming (Emit) 2 persons from EQresponsible. +6 organisers

“Punch control” EQtiming (Emit)

Spectator race - result service Local organiser

Radio timing EQtiming GPRS-based. +2 Organisers.,

TV graphics EtimingGraphics/NOF Run by NOF expert

GPS Tracking NOF/GPSseuranta Run by NOF expert

Accreditation, booking management

Manual + eventor; excel etc Organisers / NOF

Web TV producer Per Frost/Henning Spjelkavik Run by experts, IOF/NOF

Publlic Wifi, Media network NOF-equipment, mobile broadband

Run by NOF expert

Video uplink Mobile broadband with antenna Henning

JWOC 2015 RaulandService Solution Notes

Timekeeping EQtiming (Emit) 2 persons from EQresponsible + 7 organisers

“Punch control” EQtiming (Emit)

Radio timing EQtiming GPRS-based. +2 Organisers.,

Spectator race - result service Local organiser

TV graphics EtimingGraphics/NOF Run by NOF expert

GPS Tracking NOF/GPSseuranta Run by NOF expert

Accreditation, booking management

Manual + eventor; excel etc Organisers / NOF

Web TV producer Christian Gedde-Dahl Run by experts, IOF/NOF

Publlic Wifi, Media network NOF-equipment, mobile broadband

Run by NOF expert

Video uplink Fiber

WOC 2016 StrömstadService Solution Notes

Timekeeping EQtiming 7 persons from EQ + 10? organisers

“Punch control” EQtiming

Spectator race - result service Local organiser

Radio timing EQtiming Cabled

TV graphics Hego Karel Jonak’s partner

GPS Tracking GPSseuranta Pekka + Jouni

Accreditation, booking management

Eventor + excel Organisers

TV producer Karel Jonak Run by experts, IOF/NOF

Publlic Wifi, Media network Telia Event Supplied added mobile coverage.

Event admin (Eventor->EQ) Excel; organiser 3 org + experiencedvolunteer

Project Timeline

Conclusion• What to deliver?

• How to deliver?• There are several ways to split

how you assemble your services• What to buy

• What to deliver internally

• Talk to previous organisers of the same event

• ...and local organisers of similar complexity (if there exists) –possibly in other sports

The IOF IT Commission will be happy to discuss these matters with you!

henning@spjelkavik.netphone +47 932 080 67