Highway Performance Management System (HPMS) Data Management and Reporting Process Improvements

Item #: 20240051

CONTACTS

Implementing Organization: Performance Management
Champion: Ryan Bailey
Implementation Lead: Ashley Warthen
Development Team:
- Ashley Warthen
- Kelli Bacon
- Jeff Ericson
Article Written By: Lindsay Hansen
Innovation Council Liaison: Lindsay Hansen
Innovation Team Coordinator: Winston Inoway

STATUS

Implementation Date: June 1, 2023
Adoption Status: Fully Implemented
Adoptability Note: Process Improvement consulting helped to identify problems and find solutions. Would this be useful in other areas?

APPLIES TO

Topic: Performance / Process Improvement
Organization(s): UDOT
Job Role(s): Administrative Staff / Commissions, Business Analyst, Construction Engineer, Executive Leadership, Finance / Accounting, Information Specialist, Materials Engineer, Mechanics / Equipment, Motor Carrier Employee, Program Director, Program Manager, Program Specialist, Roadway Operations / IMT, ROW / Permits, Transportation Technician
Tags: labor productivity, employee empowerment, job satisfaction, personnel development, recruiting, turnover, expenses, expenditures, education and training, ( process improvement ), ( simplification ), standardization, tracking systems, education and training ( employee development ), human resources > personnel management > compensation, relations, personnel performance, retention, recruiting, hiring, supervision, turnover, retirement, onboarding, checklist, new employee

PROBLEM

UDOT’s process for reporting highway performance management system (HPMS) data to FHWA was outdated due to technology, skills, and demand changes over the years. Multiple handoffs between consultants to filter and clean the data resulted in slow turnaround in getting cleaned data returned in time for submission. Incompatibility between the consultant’s third-party system and the Federal Roads and Highways system Data often resulted in disrupted connections for large data sets which could set data transfer back by days. Along with the slow handoffs, cleaning the annual data all at once resulted in UDOT employees needing lots of overtime between February and April to meet demand. All of this was compounded by an insufficient culture of cooperation between UDOT internal and external partners, making management of the matrixed team difficult. In short, quality control of the HPMS data suffered and UDOT reporting data wasn’t as accurate as it could be.

CHANGE

Over two years, several changes were implemented to the HPMS process, which was fully implemented in 2023. First, UDOT hired an HPMS program coordinator with the necessary GIS, data management and analytics, and interpersonal skills necessary to fulfill technical and management needs. The HPMS coordinator has the skills to use various software and applications used in the HPMS process.

Adding an internal employee with the needed technical skills meant UDOT could stop using two of the consultants to clean and process the data. The new employee also had the skills to edit data in GIS instead of another system which reduced in-house data transferred, too.

Once these process changes were stable, UDOT hired a consultant to create a script to validate the cleaned data. This automation allows the UDOT employee to monitor and correct data errors throughout the year, instead of in one “event” like before. It also means the data is validated by the script and human expertise, instead of just human expertise.

To improve the cooperation of the matrixed team, the HPMS coordinator began building relationships and training with internal GIS and asset counterparts who now assist in processing the data in-house as well.

RESULT

By being able to complete all work in-house, this process change saves UDOT $268,000 annually in consultant costs. In-house data processing reduced data errors since there are no longer handoffs and slow transfer times. It also reduces data turnaround times and overtime hours. Immediately, UDOT also saved hundreds of labor-hours being able to process the data in house.

The data validation script saves money because it's a product that requires virtually no updates so there are no annual consultant costs like before. The script saves time, too, because it can run through all the necessary systems all the time. Maximizing automation and human expertise together to address issues as they come up one-by-one reduces errors and enables UDOT to provide more accurate data to FHWA.

More accurate reporting creates fewer headaches for everyone at UDOT and FHWA. Accurate and timely reporting means UDOT receives more money to maintain and expand our roads. It has also helped foster more trust with FHWA because there are fewer questions about data quality and accuracy.

An internal matrixed team increases timely collaboration, which in turn increases cooperation, good will, and a culture of breaking down silos between divisions and groups.