Below are the first 10 and last 10 pages of uncorrected machine-read text (when available) of this chapter, followed by the top 30 algorithmically extracted key phrases from the chapter as a whole.
Intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text on the opening pages of each chapter.
Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.
Do not use for reproduction, copying, pasting, or reading; exclusively for search engines.
OCR for page 16
WHO IS INVOLVED?
All Levels
Customer-driven benchmarking of maintenance activities
requires the involvement of managers at all levels of the
organization. Different levels of management in the maintenance
organization have different roles in benchmarking:
Head of maintenance, chief engineer, chief executive
officer: Provide leadership, foster the necessary change in
culture, facilitate communication among organizations or
organizational units participating in benchmarking,
approve new performance targets, and allocate resources
for improvements.
District, area, and garage managers: Take measurements
by collecting data, help document existing practices and
share practices with benchmarking partners, assist in
implementing improved practices, and help make
recommendations for reallocation of resources.
Superintendents and crew leaders: Assist in documenting
existing practices, implement improved practices, and
provide data on accomplishments and resources used.
Contract managers and inspectors: Work with contractors
to identify existing practices, and provide data on
accomplishments and expenditures on contractors.
Government personnel and contractors who perform road
maintenance are on the frontlines in providing safe, efficient,
pleasing, and environmentally sensitive highway transportation
to the public. Also, road maintenance personnel must also make
sure that a transportation agency is a good neighbor to all
owners of property along highways and streets.
Each level of the maintenance organization will need to fully
buy into the benchmarking effort. This includes key
maintenance managers in headquarters and the districts,
areas, and garages in the geographic areas where
benchmarking is likely to occur. In addition, crew leaders
who may participate in benchmarking need to be brought
along. Any effort that seeks to build support should ask
managers for suggestions and ideas about the potential merits
of benchmarking, identify challenges and ways to overcome
17
OCR for page 17
Chapter 1: Introduction to Benchmarking
them, get their best ideas on how to proceed, and obtain their
commitment.
Champions
It has been demonstrated repeatedly in many areas that a
champion can greatly accelerate the implementation of a new
process. A champion serves as an advocate, helps decisions move
through the organization, and facilitates implementation.
You should look around your organization for a person who
has the natural attributes of a champion for benchmarking. The
person should be an early advocate, an articulate spokesperson,
someone with credibility, a doer, and a facilitator. It is likely that
this person is comfortable learning from others, is keen to adopt
or exceed best practices wherever they are found, and can
motivate others to do likewise.
It is wise not to rely on a single champion, but to have several,
or at least one backup. Frequently a champion gets promoted
or takes a new job elsewhere. If the benchmarking effort
depends on the presence of the champion in order to move
forward or to succeed and that person leaves, then the
undertaking is likely to suffer or fail. Therefore, there should
always be at least one other person who also serves as a
champion or who can step into the champion's role and show
similar enthusiasm.
Unions
It is very important for maintenance organizations to involve
their union organizations in the benchmarking processes.
Benchmarking produces changes in the practices of those who
perform maintenance work activities. Unions are very concerned
about workers and any management actions that impact workers.
Unions may take issue with various aspects of benchmarking,
such as the agency enrolling in a benchmarking partnership that
might expose the agency to new work methods.
Approached properly, unions will buy into benchmarking. They
are likely to cooperate with the process once they realize that
improved performance from benchmarking activities strengthens
the workers' position and reduces the potential for replacement
by private contracting.
18
