Purpose of the Project:

Innovations increase safety, improve time efficiencies and save money across the state. Innovations also increase the moral of employees when they know they have made a difference in everyday tasks. This initiative will create a process to ensure best practice innovations from the statewide Innovations Showcase and value engineering practices from value engineering studies are implemented. Post-award studies and value engineering change proposals are implemented statewide or at the district/division levels.

Innovation Implementation:

Central Office Innovation Coordinators will divide Showcase innovations into three implementation areas: Operations, Program Delivery, and Administration and Support. All safety related innovations will be reviewed by the Safety Focus Team prior to implementation. Coordination of the statewide Innovation Challenge and Innovations Showcase is the responsibility of the Transportation Planning Division.  Transportation Planning and Communications Divisions share best practice innovations in the Weekly News publication. Innovation best practices can be viewed on MoDOT’s SharePoint homepage and external website.

Operation Innovations: The Maintenance Division has implemented the MoDOT Innovations Store for maintenance buildings to purchase innovations. The division also helps identify innovations to be purchased for statewide use.  Implementation responsibility resides with the division.  Innovations include but are not limited to:

• Devices designed by and/or fabricated by MoDOT employees
• Devices purchased by MoDOT

Program Delivery Innovations: Many innovations are used to improve processes, save money and improve safety on projects contracted out for construction, resulting in improved standard plans, standard specifications and policies. Implementation responsibility resides with Bridge, Construction and Materials, Design and Transportation Planning divisions. Innovations include but are not limited to:

• Work zone related enhancements and products.
• Innovations related to program delivery processes.
• Innovations related to bridge design processes.
• Design/construction projects.

Administration and Support Innovations:  Innovations also come from administration and support divisions at MoDOT. These innovations can be related to improving processes and increasing efficiencies. Implementation responsibility would reside with the submitting division. Innovations include but are not limited to:

• Computer software programs
• Spreadsheet and/or form development
• Training programs

Value Engineering Implementation:

In addition to implementing best practice innovations from the Innovation Showcase, other viable innovations come from projects let for construction. Value Engineering (VE) and Value Engineering Change Proposals (VECP) enhance processes, save money and improve safety. The implementation of VE and VECP ideas and concepts will be implemented via revised or new standard plans, standard specifications, and/or design and construction policies. The responsibility for implementing approved Value Engineering innovations and Value Engineering Change Proposals will reside with the Construction and Materials and Design Divisions.

Cost:

Funding to implement innovations will vary each year. The costs could range from $250,000 per year to $1M per year.   

Results:

The implementation of this initiative will be completed June 2024. Divisions responsible for implementation have been identified, and the ongoing results will be improved safety, more efficient practices, dollars saved and enhanced processes