Representative Carolyn Dykema (D-Holliston) is pleased to announce that a recently completed pilot program in the Snow and Ice Operations of Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) saved the Commonwealth $250,000 with the potential to save more in future years.
During the 6-month pilot, the Snow and Ice Operations Team at MassDOT partnered with EMC Consulting, a division of the EMC Corporation based in Hopkinton, MA, to implement LEAN management strategies that are commonly used to improve quality and control costs in the private sector.
“By partnering with Representative Dykema and EMC, we were able to work collaboratively to enhance our snow and ice services while saving a considerable amount of money in the process,” said Jeffrey B. Mullan, MassDOT Secretary and CEO. “The ‘New Normal’ at MassDOT is all about improving our services in ways that are cost effective, innovative, and creative, and I want to thank EMC and Rep. Dykema for helping us meet our goals.”
“I’d like to thank Secretary Mullan and the MassDOT team for their continued efforts at quality and service improvements, and EMC for donating their expertise to support this important work on behalf of the Commonwealth,” said Representative Dykema. “EMC’s involvement has continued the momentum of the Transportation Reform Act of 2009 and will further improve the transportation system that our citizens and businesses rely on every day and in every type of weather.”
Representative Dykema, who knew about the LEAN program’s potential to improve quality and save money from her career in business, initiated the cooperative efforts. She described the program as bringing quality management principles used in industry to the public sector. LEAN management techniques focus on streamlining service operations, with a focus on identifying areas of waste or error, measuring their impact, and then tracking cause and effect relationships to correct the issue at its source.
“I’m pleased that EMC’s partnership with MassDOT has created new opportunities and resulted in long-term savings for the Commonwealth,” said EMC Corporation General Counsel Paul Dacier. “Our company has deep roots in Massachusetts and we’re glad whenever we can contribute to the state’s continued success.”
In previous years, difficulties with cash flow meant passing up prompt-pay discounts from vendors. As a result of the pilot project, taxpayers will benefit from more of these discounts while trust with private contractors will be increased.
Thomas F. Broderick, P.E., the Acting Chief Engineer at MassDOT, noted that the meetings with EMC changed the participants’ outlook on the issue of clearing roads of snow and ice. “All of a sudden, a problem became an opportunity,” he said. Other MassDOT employees noted increased satisfaction that came from working more closely as a team and from the increased dialog across operational units.
Some MassDOT officials are so pleased with the results that they are considering additional training sessions on LEAN management for other employees. Silvio Petraglia, Chief Procurement Officer of MassDOT, was especially optimistic about the possibility of applying the LEAN methodology to more areas within the department. “I believe the system that EMC introduced to us could be used to streamline even more areas, and based on the savings from this small pilot program, running training programs for our employees would be well worth the effort,” said Petraglia.
Rep. Dykema hopes that the success of the pilot will generate increased interest in the approach across government agencies. “While MassDOT’s pilot collaboration with EMC has come to an end, I look forward to the possibility of looking for more ways that LEAN strategies can be used to streamline operations and yield savings state-wide for the taxpayers of the Commonwealth.”