TfNSW · Open Data
Odie helps people find transport data
The Open Data Hub bot answered common questions, guided people to datasets, and gave the support team a view of common searches.
The service problem
Public data was available, but it was not always easy to find
TfNSW publishes transport datasets through its Open Data Hub. Users still had trouble with dataset names, search, and API registration. Basic questions then reached the support team.
“The Open Data Hub needed a solution to help data users navigate the Open Data Hub website and easily find, view and use transport public data. This solution just gives us that, so that we can understand how our users are searching for data and improve our services.”
Yvonne Lee
Program Manager, Open Data Hub, TfNSW
Where users got stuck
The helpdesk load began with findability
The project focused on common public-data questions, not transport operations or travel advice.
- Datasets used different names and could be hard to locate.
- Users needed help to understand which dataset matched their task.
- API registration questions added manual work for support staff.
How Odie worked
A managed answer layer sat inside the Open Data Hub
Odie became the first line for common questions. Natural-language matching handled misspelled words and phrases. The support team could add and update the question-and-answer content.
- A visitor asked a question in the embedded bot.
- Odie matched the request to managed help content and relevant data.
- The Open Data team reviewed search reports and updated the answers.
- Questions outside that content still needed a person and an escalation path.
Recorded result
Faster access stayed a qualitative result
The published project record says Odie surfaced less visible datasets, answered common questions at any time, and showed the team how people searched. It does not publish query counts, response-time measures, or a cost baseline.
Discuss a public helpdesk workflow
Bring the common questions, content owners, search logs, and escalation path. We will use them to define the first useful scope.
Want to learn more?
Explore the rest of the site or get in touch with the team.
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