Improving Business Processes for More Effective Transportation Systems Management and Operations

Chapter 9. Available Resources to Support Business Process Improvements

The Second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP2), American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and other national entities have developed a suite of tools and resources to help agencies examine and improve their business processes to support improved Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO). The entities described herein are available to assist state and local agencies and their partners.

9.1 AASHTO TSMO Guidance

(http://aashtoTSMOguidance.org/)

AASHTO created this web-based guidance to help transportation agency managers improve the performance and effectiveness of their transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) activities. This guidance is an online tool that uses self-evaluation and best practices that managers can use to identify key programs, processes, and institutional preconditions to achieve effective TSMO. The foundation of the guidance is that effective TSMO requires special technical and business processes, organizational structures, and relationships, and it guides users through an evaluation framework to identify an agency's capabilities in six key processes and institutional dimensions using a capability maturity model structure. Based on the evaluation results, the guidance suggests 'next step' action plans that will help an agency improve the levels of agency capability to develop and implement more effective TSMO.

9.2 FHWA Business Process Frameworks

FHWA developed several business process frameworks that agencies can use to assess various aspects of their operations programs. These frameworks are to be used to facilitate a group discussion focused on traffic incident management (TIM), work zones, planned special event (PSE) management, road weather management, traffic management, and traffic signal management. The frameworks were developed based on a similar structure and approach to the AASHTO TSMO guidance and the associated capability maturity model (CMM) structure. Agency self-assessment is also available, along with recommended strategies on how to improve capabilities within those operational areas.

9.3 One-Day Workshops

Building from the AASHTO and FHWA resources noted previously, FHWA's capability maturity workshop and business process workshop are aimed at facilitating a multi-perspective assessment of business process issues and gaps. It also identifies priority action items to address those gaps. A capability maturity workshop provides broader agency group discussion, with business processes as one of six dimensions that are assessed. A TSMO business process workshop focuses on business processes within specific operations areas, such as TIM, work zones, road weather management, PSEs, and freeway traffic management. A TSMO business process workshop also introduces additional tools to discuss specific action items. These tools are described herein.

9.4 Second Strategic Highway Research Program Materials

9.4.1 SHRP2 Guidance and Case Studies (L01)

(https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/Solutions/Available/L06_L01_L31_L34/Organizing_for_Reliability_Tools)

SHRP2's Integrating Business Processes to Improve Travel Time Reliability (L01) is a guide developed to assist transportation agency managers in assessing and integrating key business processes for transportation systems operations to improve travel-time reliability. The guide also provides best practices and case studies from around the world to exemplify how agencies are using business processes at both a programmatic and institutional level to help improve traffic flow and travel-time reliability with respect to four challenging areas: TIM, work zone management, PSE management, and weather operations and management. The guide proposes a seven-step integration approach to analyze, implement, document, and institutionalize business processes to guide managers to better understand and improve their businesses processes for transportation management.

9.4.2 SHRP2 Organizing for Reliability Tools (L06)

(http://www.transportationops.org/research/institutional-architectures-improve-systems-operations-and-management)

SHRP2's Institutional Architectures to Improve Systems Operations and Management (L06), provides research and guidance relating to the institutional characteristics of TSMO, including culture, organizations, and staffing, resource allocation, and partnerships that facilitate effective management of nonrecurring congestion. The research evaluates current practices in systems management and operations, as well as the institutional features that are associated with the more effective programs. The research also introduces a CMM that helps agencies connect the necessary institutional changes that will increase levels of business maturity. This capability maturity model is recommended to identify strengths and weaknesses in an agency's business processes and is based on self-evaluation. The model also provides subsequent guidance for agencies to undergo changes in their institutional architecture with the goal of developing more effective TSMO programs.

9.4.3 SHRP2 Presentation Materials: 'Operations in the 21st Century – Meeting Customer Needs and Expectations' (L31)

(FHWA site at https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/Solutions/Available/L06_L01_L31_L34/Organizing_for_Reliability_Tools; or AASHTO SHRP2 site at http://shrp2.transportation.org/Pages/Reliability.aspx)

These presentation materials help support a capability maturity model by engaging an agency's senior leadership and decision makers (for example, DOT secretary or chief executive officer, chief engineer, budget and programming director, maintenance head, and other executive staff). Two presentations are available: one for Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and one for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs). The DOT presentation is geared towards senior managers and focuses on the value of mainstreaming operations as a core mission, business practice, and investment priority in their respective agencies. The MPO presentation is best suited for MPO officials and board members and provides information on the value of mainstreaming operations as a core component and investment priority in the regional transportation planning process.

9.4.4 SHRP2 eTool for Business Processes to Improve Travel-Time Reliability (L34)

(https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/goshrp2/Solutions/Available/L06_L01_L31_L34/Organizing_for_Reliability_Tools)

As a follow-up to the research undertaken in Guidance and Case Studies (L01), eTool for Business Processes to Improve Travel-Time Reliability (L34) was developed as an interactive eTool that transportation agencies can use to evaluate their current business processes and identify and remove barriers to implementing and maintaining improved processes to advance operations for improving travel-time reliability. The eTool is intended to help users identify business processes that will improve operations of their highway systems. It also provides examples of how to undertake the recommended business processes. The eTool can be used to succinctly capture key action items and next steps.