If you ask Dr. Scott Grasman, associate professor of engineering management and systems engineering at Missouri S&T, he'll tell you he has just the tool you need.

Grasman is helping the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) develop software to assess future projects involving the state’s waterways. His is part of the transportation department’s study of freight optimization and development in Missouri. MoDOT hopes to develop a freight and logistics development process that focuses on waterways, but is transferable to other modes of transportation, such as trucking and railways.

The tool developed by Grasman scores each proposed improvement project based on a variety of factors, including economic impact, impact on existing operations, urgency of need and available funding.