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Continuous Improvement: Retrofitting overhead message boards

Continuous Improvement: Retrofitting overhead message boards

July 6, 2017

By Peter Corbett / ADOT Communications

Earlier this week, we shared how a bright idea by ADOT employees is allowing us to upgrade rather than replace 20-year-old overhead electronic message boards.

This innovative approach provides more readable message boards and saves taxpayer dollars. While replacing a board would cost $300,000, a retrofit using the kit employees developed costs just $42,000. And it saves about $1,000 a year in energy costs for each message board.

In ADOT's culture of continuous improvement, we call this a kaizen (pronounced ky-ZEN). That means something that improves safety, improves efficiency by reducing waste or, as is the case here, accomplishes both.

The video above shows this kaizen in action. Please take a look.