(Professional Expertise Distilled) Stacia Viscardi - The Professional Scrum Masters Handbook-Packt Publishi-160

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The Criticality of Real-time 
Information
I lived in the NYC metro area for years, and I get particularly grouchy and 
disgruntled when my travels require that I take a train from Penn Station. Several 
train lines depart from Penn Station—New Jersey Transit, Long Island Railroad, 
Amtrak—to name a few. NJ Transit and Amtrak trains share a central schedule, 
a big board, about the size of five ping pong tables put together end to end, with 
letters and numbers that click-click-click like the shuffling of a card deck as it shows 
basic information about the incoming/outbound trains, departure times, and track 
numbers. While a good way to distribute basic information, the issue is that the 
tracks are updated within mere minutes of departure time, which means that large 
crowds stand underneath and around the suspended dashboard, nervously awaiting 
track information. Click-click-CLICK! The track number appears! Five hundred 
people clog one skinny escalator as they attempt the descent to their track; other 
passengers run around the waiting hall searching for staircases or other escalators, 
often bumping into each other. It can be quite dangerous! I've always hated this 
last-minute reporting; it causes lots of tension and stress.
If I were King of Penn Station, I would place mini-schedules in every coffee stand, 
retail shop, restaurant, and hallway so that passengers could dine, shop, and stroll 
while being able to view information about their train from practically anywhere 
within the station. This new system would allow passengers to queue when they 
wished, unlike the old system that forces them into nervously watch a clicking 
board with hundreds of other anxious passengers. This solution might also boost 
commerce as people could spend more time shopping and eating instead of waiting 
under a big sign.
	Chapter 6: The Criticality of Real-time Information