By Angela DeWelles / ADOT Communications

Under the Arizona Management System, Director John Halikowski joins other ADOT leaders by going where work is done in what are known as Gemba walks.

It's led to a popular series of videos for ADOT employees called Direct Connect, which has developed into a cross between “Dirty Jobs” and “Undercover Boss.” Through Direct Connect, the ADOT Blog has already followed Halikowski to the Topock Port of Entry, the ADOT sign shop and one of our freeway pump stations. This time around he’s on the job with employees from Equipment Services who make sure vehicles are ready to roll.

The episode above shows Halikowski learning how to prep a snowplow, weld and complete some routine vehicle maintenance – all under the supervision of Equipment Services technicians, of course!

After his workday is over, Halikowski wraps up his experience by sharing his thoughts on the role each employee has at ADOT.

“Everybody’s job is important at ADOT. I don’t care where you’re working at or what you’re working on,” he says. “We’re an incredibly complex and diverse agency and, as you can see from my travels ... we all have to rely on each other to make sure that we are safe and we get home safely to our loved ones at night.”

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

The principles behind the Arizona Management System (AMS) are being implemented on a daily basis at the Arizona Department of Transportation. AMS is Gov. Doug Ducey’s initiative to transform state government as a results-driven enterprise and to add value in addressing customer needs. I have written about the improved customer experiences at our Motor Vehicle Division offices with reduced wait times and expanded online services. I’ve shared how ADOT has incurred operational savings when our employees have designed and implemented solutions with graffiti shields, repairing guard rail and refilling an herbicide truck; and offered safety and training programs at our international ports of entry that translate to safer trucks on our roads.  Now I would like to share our success in collaborating with other state and local agencies that have resulted in meeting customer needs and saving taxpayer dollars.

The Arizona Department of Corrections needed to improve a dirt track at the Perryville Prison. This track is used for food delivery, prisoner transport and other vehicle traffic within the prison complex. Corrections personnel contacted ADOT to see if we had any extra asphalt millings that could be used to create a more durable surface for this track. Rather than spend millions of dollars in dump fees to dispose of this type of material, our Central District and Avondale Maintenance crews worked closely with Corrections personnel to deliver 18 dump trucks and 650 cubic yards of material, along with personnel to help repair the dirt track. It’s a win-win situation for both agencies. There is a more durable track at the Perryville Prison and ADOT has saved big bucks in dump fees.

When forest fires erupt in Arizona, there is a lot of coordination that must take place among state and local agencies to fight fires, evacuate residents and visitors, and protect structures and wildlife.

Few people may realize that ADOT is one of those agencies called upon to provide emergency management services. We have crews that help with traffic control to ensure public safety personnel (firefighters, first responders, etc.) can do their jobs safely and residents/visitors can evacuate and travel to safe areas.

Our emergency management teams can provide services at a moment’s notice when time is of the essence.

ADOT has collaborated with Arizona’s Game and Fish Department for many years. We have worked together to protect wildlife like bighorn sheep, deer, and other desert creatures with animal crossings on US 93 in Mohave County, State Route 260 near Payson and State Route 77 near Tucson.

Recently, one of our maintenance crews assisted Game and Fish in relocating a brown bear near the Salt River Canyon rest area in Gila County. Needless to say, this bear realized this rest area wasn’t Jellystone Park.

Besides being problem-solvers, ADOT employees are collaborators.

I am very proud of the efforts our employees have demonstrated in finding solutions and addressing customer needs, and saving taxpayer dollars while working with state and local agencies. It is indeed a winning combination.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By John Halikowski / ADOT Director

The Arizona Department of Transportation’s Enforcement and Compliance Division is celebrating the first year of training Mexican truck drivers and mechanics. This effort has resulted in safer Arizona roads and a boost to the state’s economy. Our International Border Inspection Qualification (IBIQ) program has made a dramatic difference in the number of violations found during safety inspections, number of trucks pulled off the roads for significant repairs and the amount of time drivers spend waiting at the border before they can deliver their products to U.S. markets.

This collaboration with the Mexican trucking industry makes crossing the border safer to everyone. It also supports the growth of Arizona’s economy and makes crossing the border more efficient for commercial trucking. The dramatic improvements we have seen in just one year show the commitment of our officers and the trucking community to this important program.

Our training program follows Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance guidelines which are the standard for commercial motor vehicles across the U.S. Through this training, Mexican truck drivers and mechanics learn about safety regulations they must follow to drive on U.S. roads.

Here is just a snapshot of the success we have achieved so far:

• More than 400 drivers have taken the program
• Achieved a 97 percent exam passing rate
• Offered 16 two-day training presentations
• Calculated more than 5,200 border crossings
• Recorded 141 violations
• Removed 11 vehicles from service for significant safety concerns

In addition, drivers who have completed and passed written and field exams are able to communicate with inspectors using WhatsApp. This new process has been used 118 times. It allows drivers to ask questions and make repairs before approaching the border, saving time and money. By embracing the principles behind Governor Ducey’s Arizona Management System initiative, our employees have found ways to add value to the services we offer our customers.

I commend our ECD officers and training staff for making our IBIQ program such a success in the first year of operation. We are indeed making sure commercial truck traffic is safe on our roads while ensuring Arizona’s economy continues to expand into the future.

This post originally appeared on ADOT Director John Halikowski's
LinkedIn page. He has led the agency since 2009.

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

What does it take to keep Valley freeways from flooding?

As our director, John Halikowski, found out in this video of a recent inspection of a freeway pump station, the answer is 247 pumps, 161 industrial engines, a variety of certifications and dedicated Arizona Department of Transportation employees. And that doesn't get into the vast network of drainage systems that don't involve pumps.

The station he toured is just one of the 59 along all freeways in the Phoenix metro area to remove water from low-lying areas.]

RELATED: Litter can hinder freeway drainage systems

The director's visit featured in this video is a Gemba walk, a term derived from the Japanese term for going where work is done. It’s part of the  Arizona Management System, a results-driven system championed by Governor Doug Ducey that focuses on improving productivity and better serving customers.

RELATED: Arizona Management System Spurs innovation and cost savings across ADOT

As our director says in the video, "If you're the owner of a business, you want to know how your business is running and you want to be running it as efficiently as possible. For me it's the same way. ADOT really is my business, and so I want to make sure my employees have what they need (and) that they understand the direction were moving in."

To learn more about how the Arizona Management System works at ADOT, please visit azdot.gov/AMS.

By David Rookhuyzen / ADOT Communications

Using the Arizona Management System championed by Governor Doug Ducey, leaders learn by routinely going where work is done in what's known as a Gemba walk.

For our director, John Halikowski, this can include heading to our I-40 port of entry in Topock and rolling under a parked semitrailer. That's so he can learn how ADOT's Enforcement and Compliance Division conducts safety inspections on commercial vehicles. This particular Gemba walk also included riding shotgun when one of these state-certified peace officers takes off after a commercial vehicle that failed to stop at the port.

Gemba walks give the director and other ADOT leaders a chance to experience what employees do every day in the name of improving quality, safety and customer service.

The video above, produced for ADOT employees as part of our continuous improvement efforts, focuses on the police officers who concentrate on commercial vehicle safety and other transportation issues. These officers work at ports of entry and on state highways to make sure commercial vehicles are in compliance with permitting rules and regulations, size restrictions, and registration and equipment safety requirements.

Enforcement and Compliance Division officers also investigate title, registration and driver’s license fraud and unlicensed auto dealers, among other law enforcement duties.

You can learn more about how the Arizona Management System works at ADOT, including our many success stories, by visiting azdot.gov/AMS.

By David Woodfill / ADOT Communications

What do lines at the MVD, international commerce and freeway lighting have in common?

They're all areas where Arizona Department of Transportation's commitment to continuous improvement has spurred innovation and savings of time and-or taxpayer money.

When Governor Doug Ducey took office, he challenged state agencies to look for ways to solve problems while eliminating wasteful processes. This commitment to continuous improvement is lived out at ADOT through the Arizona Management System.

The video above shows how the Arizona Management System has every ADOT employee, everywhere, solving problems every day.

The Motor Vehicle Division has introduced myriad ways to get people out of line and safely on the road. Wait times have been dramatically reduced through steps including opening many offices an hour earlier and making sure those in line have their documents in order before reaching a customer service window.

ADOT's Border Liaison Unit has cut delays at commercial ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border while improving safety by sending trainers to Mexico to show commercial drivers how to prepare for safety inspections – the first time any state DOT has done so. By freeing inspectors to focus more on vehicles that present a higher risk, they've found more violations while conducting fewer inspections.

ADOT workers found a way to save money by developing a retrofit kit to upgrade rather than replace older freeway message boards that provide travel times, warn motorists of delays and closures, and provide safety information.

All of these solutions came from employees across ADOT who are catalysts for change. And these stories are just part of ADOT's continuous improvement journey.

We've established a website so you can share the journey with us. Visit azdot.gov/AMS to learn about many other continuous improvement successes at ADOT.

By Dani Weber / ADOT Communications

The many process improvements that Motor Vehicle Division offices have adopted have resulted in drastically reduced wait times.

Instead of a computerized voice calling customers to open windows, MVD customer service representatives work the lines to make sure everyone is prepared with all the necessary forms and identification necessary for their transactions.

The changes are having a big impact and people all across Arizona are starting to notice.

In our video above, people who visited MVD locations talk about the changes. And with additional services offered online at ServiceArizona.com and at ServiceArizona kiosks in select locations, customers are able to do many of the most common transactions much faster and at their leisure.

“One hundred percent better now,” noted one customer."

“This used to be a long wait and it isn’t anymore,” said another customer.