00795332

Component

Over the past several years several states have undertaken Maintenance Management Systems initiatives characterized by formal competitive procurements, lengthy project duration, and significant investment of time and resources by both the acquiring organization and the selected provider. This article describes how Vermont, operating in a resource constrained environment, has pursued "a path less frequently traveled" to successfully implement and continue to evolve a maintenance management capability that has empowered its employees and has generated value and benefit for the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VAOT). The paper describes how Vermont adopted a strategy of fielding an initial core capability for the Vermont Maintenance Activity Tracking System (VTMATS), and then augmented and added to the core capability through a series of additional releases. Also included is how VAOT successfully addressed the training and organizational change challenges associated with the implementation and operation of a new system. The challenges faced by VAOT are described in terms of timeframe (initial operation, first year of operation, and beyond), the benefit and value that have been realized, and the surprises (both unanticipated "wins" and lessons learned). The paper also addresses organizational relationships that have been created or reinforced through the operation of VTMATS and the incentives and empowerment of system users. VTMATS data being used to support maintenance management activities is demonstrated as being far greater than initial expectations, and other experiences show how user expectations and perspective have changed significantly over the past three years. The acquisition and resource requirements associated with the Vermont experience are examined in terms of how VAOT has implemented and evolved the VTMATS in a resource constrained environment using alternative strategies and approaches that are streamlined, yet still yield effective and economical results. Last, a discussion of next steps and future directions is provided in terms of how the system is expected to mature and change over time relative to user and organizational expectations.

Session H

English

16p

2000

Ninth AASHTO/TRB Maintenance Management Conference

Figures

Employee empowerment; Implementation; Maintenance management; Training

Tracking systems (Management)

Vermont

Administration and Management; Education and Training; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Research; I10: Economics and Administration; I60: Maintenance

TRIS, TRB

Jul 19 2000 12:00AM

• EXPERIENCES IN IMPLEMENTING NEW MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
• IMPROVEMENTS IN HIGHWAY MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT IN GREECE
• THE EVOLUTION OF CONTRACT MAINTENANCE
• TOTAL MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS