{"id":20462,"date":"2025-10-02T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/?p=20462"},"modified":"2025-10-09T09:19:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T16:19:05","slug":"making-transportation-seamless-and-efficient-with-the-power-of-data-and-ai-at-microsoft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cm-edgetun.pages.dev\/insidetrack\/blog\/making-transportation-seamless-and-efficient-with-the-power-of-data-and-ai-at-microsoft\/","title":{"rendered":"Making transportation seamless and efficient with the power of data and AI at Microsoft"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s full speed ahead for the future of transportation at Microsoft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five years ago, as a global pandemic shut down offices and commuting ground to a halt, Microsoft took the opportunity to overhaul the technology underpinning its transportation services. The result was a more modernized and integrated system that employees enjoyed as they resumed work at our Puget Sound-based global headquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Gaurav<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cFiguring out their commute should not be a pain point for employees. We\u2019re harnessing our advanced technology and the power of AI to do the heavy lifting, so they don\u2019t have to struggle to figure out how they\u2019ll get to work.\u201d<\/p>\nGarima Gaurav, senior product manager, Microsoft Digital<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Today, with flexible work schedules the norm, the investment in these technologies\u2014including improved UIs for employee-facing tools, better data handling and collection on the backend, and a more seamless experience\u2014has paid dividends in terms of flexibility and efficiency. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As rates of in-office attendance creep up, our Commute Services group can quickly adjust and stay on top of demand, leaving us better positioned to meet our company\u2019s ambitious sustainability goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And now, we\u2019re embracing the Microsoft vision of an AI-powered future by adding agentic, predictive capabilities to our commuting tools, which makes booking a shuttle, Connector bus, or other transportation option fast and easy for our workers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFiguring out their commute should not be a pain point for employees,\u201d says Garima Gaurav, a senior product manager in Microsoft Digital, the company\u2019s IT organization. \u201cWe\u2019re harnessing our advanced technology and the power of AI to do the heavy lifting, so they don\u2019t have to struggle to figure out how they\u2019ll get to work or to a meeting in a different building.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upgrading the transportation experience<\/strong><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve always had clear goals for the type of transportation program we wanted to bring to our employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe first thing we think about is the rider experience,\u201d says Esther Christoffersen, a senior manager with Puget Sound Commute Operations. \u201cWe want to deliver an experience that is centered around ease, flexibility, and choice. We start with the physical world, the environment that we live and work in, and then we think about the digital world that employees interface with.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But our technology systems didn\u2019t always make it easy to accomplish those goals. So we undertook the overhaul of our commute tools, implementing a modern UI that was more consistent with other Microsoft workplace applications. At the same time, this work allowed our engineers to transform the back-end management of our transportation system, using Microsoft Azure to give them better visibility and clearer ownership of operating data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Better data and tools meant empowering riders with mobility features like a trip-planning function, push notifications, real-time ETAs, and live vehicle map tracking for our shuttle and Connector bus services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe had to think about what really matters,\u201d Gaurav says. \u201cThat meant building something modern, real-time, and fast for riders. But we also wanted operational agility for the Commute Services team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Getting there with the help of an AI agent<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With the right technology in place, these tools are ready for agentic AI\u2014and it\u2019s here. While they can still use our internal desktop or mobile platforms to book a ride to work or a different campus location, employees can now also opt for the Employee Self-Service (ESS) agent<\/a> we\u2019ve developed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jessie Go, a technical program manager in the Real Estate and Facilities group, emphasizes the fluid, end-to-end experience that this AI agent can provide to commuters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf I\u2019m a new employee, I want to know my commute options,\u201d Go says. \u201cI go into ESS and ask, \u2018What are my options to get to campus?\u2019 The agent gives me a list of commuter choices, and one is the Connector bus. I then ask it to help me book a Connector; the agent pulls up a booking tool and I schedule my Connector ride. It\u2019s so much simpler.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"West<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cThe ESS tool is kind of a one-stop-shop Copilot agent, aimed at helping our people with all of their work tasks.\u201d<\/p>\nBecky West, principal group product manager, Microsoft Digital<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

ESS not only offers a user-friendly Copilot Chat interface, but also the potential to understand the rider\u2019s transportation history and preferences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt allows users to have a more contextual, conversational experience,\u201d says Ram Kuppaswamy, a principal software engineering manager in Microsoft Digital. \u201cThey can just say, \u2018Book me a connector,\u2019 and the agent can suggest options based on their previous ride history. It also offers one-click booking, which is used in 40% of all bookings today. It saves users a ton of time, and they really love it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s all part of making routine tasks frictionless and more efficient for Microsoft employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re bringing the experience right to where the employees live, in the AI chat interface,\u201d Gaurav says. \u201cThis way they can get all the information they need in one place, rather than 10 different places.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, ESS can do more than just help with transportation needs\u2014it\u2019s been rolled out company-wide, with the ability to answer employee questions and solve problems relating to anything from their benefits to IT issues to dining options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe ESS tool is kind of a one-stop-shop Copilot agent, aimed at helping our people with all of their work tasks,\u201d says Becky West, a principal group product manager in Microsoft Digital. \u201cIn the Real Estate space, that might be help with booking a shuttle or seeing what\u2019s for lunch in the cafeteria. In other areas, it might be getting assistance with questions about vacation policy, or what\u2019s wrong with their computer.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping sustainable transportation top-of-mind<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At Microsoft, we take sustainability seriously<\/a>. Our transportation program is a key component of that effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe offer shared transportation to employees to reduce single-occupancy vehicles on the road, and we\u2019re transitioning our fleet to electric vehicles,\u201d Christoffersen says. \u201cIt\u2019s part of our corporate commitment to be carbon negative by 2030.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Christoffersen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\u201cOur global headquarters in Redmond is the size of a small city, with transportation services that help employees get to, from, and around our campus. We continuously look at the data so that we balance the rider experience with running an efficient operation.\u201d<\/p>\nEsther Christoffersen, senior manager, Puget Sound Commute Operations<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Microsoft provides electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at many Puget Sound campus locations for employee use. We also offer transit passes, guaranteed rides home, and other rideshare options, giving commuters maximum flexibility. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The easier it is to access these services, the more single-occupancy vehicles we can remove from the region\u2019s roads, which means less air pollution and traffic congestion for everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because Microsoft is one of the largest employers in the state of Washington, these efforts can make a real difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur global headquarters in Redmond is the size of a small city, with transportation services that help employees get to, from, and around our campus,\u201d Christoffersen says. \u201cWe continuously look at the data so that we balance the rider experience with running an efficient operation.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking toward the future<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As AI-powered tools like the Employee Self-Service agent get even better and more broadly used across the company, our transportation services will continue to improve. We hope these services will eventually be available in other regions as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe overall goal is to expand the discoverability of commute information to our workers around the globe,\u201d Gaurav says. \u201cSo, whether an employee is in Silicon Valley, India, or somewhere else, they will be able to ask the AI tool for transportation options where they are located and get assistance. It\u2019s a work in progress for us.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Key takeaways<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you are looking to improve the transportation experience for employees at your organization, here are some important things to remember:<\/p>\n\n\n\n