PHOENIX – The West Phoenix Motor Vehicle Division office is often a noisy scene when a customer lines up to check in and then takes a seat to wait for an automated system to call his or her number.

On this day, however, it’s unusually quiet and no numbers are being called. After checking in, customers line up along a path through the lobby marked by yellow tape. While one MVD employee walks down the line to make sure customers have what they need to complete their transactions, another directs people to the next available customer service window.

It would be natural to think that the automated system is broken, but in fact it’s been modified to stop audibly calling numbers so employees here can see if trying a different approach reduces wait times.

The initial results are promising: On this day, customers got in and out in 30-35 minutes on average versus the usual average time of more than an hour.

As part of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s agency-wide commitment to continuous improvement, MVD has turned the office at 51st Avenue and Indian School Road, one of its busiest, into a laboratory of sorts as it works toward a goal of reducing door-to-door times at all locations from an average of one hour to 28 minutes. Repurposing the automated number system is one of many ideas that employees will try here in the coming months to identify process improvements that can be used at all MVD offices.

What’s happening at the West Phoenix office may be the most visible way MVD is seeking to becoming more valuable to customers, but this commitment to continuous improvement applies to all facets of its operations.

“Nothing is off-limits as we and others at ADOT answer Governor Ducey’s call to operate at the speed of business,” ADOT Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen said. “We’re ready to experiment with any element of MVD.”

The roadmap for continuous improvement begins with planning. What played out in the lobby on this day began with brainstorming sessions in a large employee training room downstairs that’s become an innovation center for a team made up of staff from the West Phoenix and other MVD offices, MVD leadership and ADOT’s continuous improvement specialists. It’s a place to literally throw things on the wall and see what sticks, as the walls are covered with color-coded sticky notes identifying dozens of processes being studied, along with challenges and potential improvements.

“We are looking at everything from driver licenses to titles and registrations and brainstorming possible solutions to issues with those processes,” said West Phoenix MVD Office Manager Steven Parra, who in addition to his other duties oversees the experimentation here. “It’s exciting to be a part of a venture where we get to actually test the ideas we come up with to see if they work.”

The next stages of continuous improvement are doing and checking. The results of the changes to the automated number system on this day will be studied, as will those of other experiments aimed at reducing customer wait times.

Some ideas will work. Some won’t. Both are part of a process that will lead to the final step of continuous improvement: acting, in this case by identifying ways that all MVD offices can reduce customer wait times.

In addition to innovations that will come from the West Phoenix office, MVD has already made several changes through its continuous-improvement process. These include printing temporary credentials at the customer service window instead of sending customers to a separate line. Also, a customer retaking the driving test now goes directly to the testing area instead of first waiting in line to re-verify his or her application with a representative.

“Our vision to get customers out of line and safely on the road is not just something we say,” Jorgensen said. “What’s happening at our West Phoenix office isn’t the beginning or the end of our efforts to improve at MVD. It’s an expression of how committed we are about better serving our customers and becoming more efficient.”

For more information, visit azdot.gov/mvd.

PHOENIX – ServiceArizona kiosks installed at courthouses in El Mirage and Paradise Valley are making it easier for Arizonans to conduct business with the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division without visiting an MVD office.

The kiosks, which offer the same functionality as the ServiceArizona.com website, allow customers to conduct more than 20 motor vehicle services such as accessing a driving record and renewing vehicle registrations. Most kiosks allow customers to print vehicle registrations and plate tabs for renewals.

Courthouses in Surprise and Scottsdale received kiosks last year, and the Phoenix Municipal Courthouse received two kiosks in February. There are 37 kiosks in 23 MVD offices around the state, with plans to roll out more over time.

It’s all part of an MVD initiative to provide residents with more access to motor vehicle services outside of an office.

“We want to make it easier for people to access MVD services,” said Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen. “Installing ServiceArizona kiosks in city courthouses helps us to provide those services where people need them.”

Other motor vehicle services available through ServiceArizona.com and kiosks include ordering a duplicate driver license or ID card and ordering specialty license plates.

The new kiosks are located at:

• El Mirage City Court: 14010 N. El Mirage Road
• Paradise Valley Municipal Court: 6517 E. Lincoln Drive

For more information, visit azdot.gov/mvd and ServiceArizona.com.

PHOENIX – By expanding the use of technology and third-party options, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division is making it ever easier for motorists to renew vehicle registrations, apply for driver licenses and more without visiting MVD offices.

Numbers for 2015 tell the story:

4.4 million: That’s the number of transactions by residents processed last year through ServiceArizona.com. That’s an increase from 4.2 million in 2014. This past year, 60 percent of all vehicle registration renewals were done through ServiceArizona. In addition, 3.3 million transactions were processed through ServiceArizona.com by businesses like car dealerships, bringing the total to 7.7 million transactions. ServiceArizona is accessible through desktops, laptops and mobile devices like smartphones and tablets.

4 million: That’s the number of 2015 transactions processed by Authorized Third Party businesses conveniently located around the state. It’s an increase from 3.8 million in 2014.

By comparison, Motor Vehicle Division offices, which typically handle more complex transactions, processed 3.1 million in 2015.

Another notable number: 22. That’s how many Authorized Third Party businesses offer assistance with driver licenses and identification cards in addition to the vehicle title and registration available at most authorized businesses. That’s an increase from seven such businesses in 2014. The Motor Vehicle Division aims to continue to increase that number.

Offering more options to customers is among the ways the Motor Vehicle Division is improving service and meeting Governor Doug Ducey’s call for innovation and efficiency in state government.

“At MVD, our vision is to get Arizona ‘out of the line and safely on the road.’  Our private industry partners and online service options through ServiceArizona.com make these important transactions more convenient for Arizonans to conduct,” Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen said.

Other alternatives include 39 ServiceArizona kiosks located in many Motor Vehicle Division offices and a couple of city courthouses. These kiosks offer the same functionality as the ServiceArizona website.

For more information, visit ServiceArizona.com.

A list of Authorized Third Party businesses and MVD offices can be found at azdot.gov/mvdlocations.

PHOENIX – To speed up the behind-the-wheel testing process and better assess driver safety, the Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division has implemented a new scoring system for the preliminary portion of the road test that will save time and allow for more road tests per day.

Many Arizona drivers will remember having three attempts to parallel park or perform a three-point turn with a straight “pass” or “fail” grading system. Now, the person taking the test has one attempt to park with the grading based on a point system.

“What we need to know is whether the driver can properly maneuver the vehicle,” said Motor Vehicle Division Director Eric Jorgensen. “We adjusted the test to obtain that information in one attempt and it has resulted in a time savings of three to four minutes per test.”

A time savings of three or four minutes cuts down on the number of minutes another customer has to wait to take the road test. It adds up to a couple of hours over the period of a day at busier MVD offices, allowing for more road tests to be given.

With the new grading scale, the person taking the road test will accumulate points for each infraction during the vehicle maneuverability test. Some infractions include not parking within the box, hard braking or difficulty maneuvering the vehicle and changing direction of travel once the vehicle pulls into the space. If the person accumulates eight or more points, they will not pass the maneuverability test and fail the entire road test. Most infractions are worth two points.

MVD staff provides the test-taker with clear instructions on the vehicle maneuverability test and what constitutes infractions, before the parking exam begins, to ensure the person knows exactly what’s expected.

For more information about the Motor Vehicle Division, visit azdot.gov/mvd.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division won an award at the recent American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators International Conference for its expanded offering of driver license services at Authorized Third Party businesses across the state.

The Motor Vehicle Division received a Customer Convenience Award for giving customers more options to obtain a driver license or identification card by expanding the number of Authorized Third Party businesses that offer those credentials.

“One of MVD’s goals is to give communities across Arizona more access to our services,” said Third Party Program Administrator Juan Beltran. “Earlier this year, we rolled out a phased expansion program, and have added three to four businesses in each phase to expand the number of Third Party businesses that offer driver licenses and identification cards.”

There are currently 19 Authorized Third Party businesses around the state that offer driver license services in addition to title and registration services.

ADOT’s goal is to have 23 Authorized Third Party businesses offering driver license and identification card services around the state by next January.

A list of Authorized Third Party businesses and MVD offices can be found at azdot.gov/mvdlocations.

PHOENIX – Many motor vehicle services can be performed online nowadays. Unfortunately, scam artists, misrepresenting themselves as official motor vehicle division entities, are using the Internet to take a customer’s money and personal information.

The Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division wants to alert customers that there are fraudulent websites falsely offering motor vehicle services such as Arizona driver licenses, IDs, and vehicle titles and registration. The fraudulent websites appear in searches with keywords such as MVD or DMV.

ServiceArizona.com is the only authorized website for all Arizona MVD transactions. Customers can use ServiceArizona.com to conduct many routine motor vehicle transactions, such as applying for a duplicate driver license or driver license reinstatement, renewing a vehicle registration and purchasing a specialty or personalized license plate.

Currently, a person cannot obtain a driver license online. To do so a customer must visit a local MVD or Authorized Third Party office.

Additionally, ADOT does not offer MVD services through phone solicitations, nor does it endorse or advertise for online businesses claiming to provide MVD services.

There are, however, legitimate Authorized Third Party businesses that are licensed and authorized to perform MVD transactions in person. A list of Authorized Third Party businesses can be found at azdot.gov/mvdlocations.

ADOT’s goal is to prevent its customers from becoming victims of fraud or identity theft. ADOT also wants customers to be aware of unauthorized sites that may offer MVD services at an extra cost. The only authorized ways to conduct Arizona driver license or motor vehicle services are either in person at any ADOT MVD or Authorized Third Party office, online through ServiceArizona.com or by standard mail.

For more information about MVD services, please visit azdot.gov/mvd.

PHOENIX – On Aug. 10, the Surprise Motor Vehicle Division office will reopen after completion of interior renovations, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation. The remodeling project has significantly increased the customer waiting area capacity, offering customers more efficient and comfortable service at the office.

The office can now hold a maximum of 188 customers, with customers able to wait inside to receive a number to be served. Previously, only 68 customers could be inside at one time, which left many who visited the Surprise office to wait outside before receiving a number.

“The remodeling of the Surprise office is one way MVD is committed to enhancing customer service,” said Motor Vehicle Division Operations Director Chuck Saillant. “Modernized offices and alternatives such as ServiceArizona.com and Authorized Third Party businesses are some of the ways we demonstrate that commitment.”

Besides increasing the capacity of the customer waiting area, the project upgraded the air conditioning system, upgraded the restrooms and enhanced the look of the customer waiting area.

A list of MVD office locations and Authorized Third Party providers can be found online at azdot.gov/mvdlocations.