GUIDING THE TRANSFORMATION TO A QUALITY CULTURE

In 1991, the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) initiated a departmental reorganization to optimize services and address the needs of customers. One result of this reorganization was the development of a Maintenance Division, rather than an Office of Maintenance under the Highway Division. With the inception of the Maintenance Division, a significant change in the management style was incorporated. A senior management team was developed to guide the administration of the maintenance operations. This management team recognized the need for a long range plan to determine the division's direction over the next decade. A planning team was formed and a mission, goals, action plans and underlying principles were developed to guide the organization. Development of this long range plan served as the starting point to create a work environment which is founded on continuous improvement. To create this environment, a Continuous Quality Improvement Implementation Plan was developed to determine the division's future state and to set the climate for change. Implementation of this culture began in 1993 with the development of a strategic plan. This plan identified a need to evaluate different alternative organizational structures for field maintenance to enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness. Several organizational structures were reviewed and a change was implemented. This was followed with the implementation of several teams to obtain the division's goals. The teams consisted of a cross section of maintenance employees who addressed the division's action plans, identified barriers and made recommendations to remove barriers and to optimize operations. Simultaneously with team development, an ambitious training effort was undertaken to promote awareness of the division's direction and to foster an environment of continuous improvement. Efforts are now underway to finalize the plan, commit to day-to-day operational continuous improvement and champion its success. To maintain the new culture, it is necessary to continually evaluate progress and to sustain an environment that addresses the needs of customers. The Maintenance Division intends to further enhance the transformation efforts to assure success in the future. The steps incorporated to guide the transformation are discussed in more detail in this paper.