Sign Manufacturing and Maintenance

1. Sign Manufacturing and Maintenance David Cook, P.E. State Maintenance Engineer, SCDOT

2. Sign Shop Consolidation • 3 Manufacturing facilities • 3 Sign Shop Supervisors • 2 Delivery Trucks • 25 Total Employees • Long wait time (up to 100 days) • 1 Manufacturing facility • 1 Sign Shop Supervisor • Free Shipping! • 9 Total Employees • Orders filled in 30 days or less • Reduced production cost by over $500,000 per year Before After

3. How We Got There • Production Analysis • Production Goals • Staffing Estimates • SMART Goals • Monitor Performance

4. Production Analysis • Time Studies - Employees were observed performing tasks. • Prep time and volume was considered • A reliable maximum production value was identified

5. Standard Signs • Screen Printing • Rolling and Trimming • Large investment in set-up time is for setting up screen printer, making screens, & clean-up

6. Screen Printing Production 100 screened signs 65 minutes

7. Roll & Trim Production Times

8. Hand Laid Signs • Hand laid sign production was more difficult to quantify • Assumptions and estimates were used • We used a 24”x 72” sign for an average size • Made allowances for the unique nature of these types of signs

9. Production Goals • From our production study we determined maximum production values • Observed maximum production was modified to expected daily production • Safety meetings, training, ancillary duties, facility maintenance, etc. • This value was further adjusted with yearly realistic reductions • Annual leave, sick leave, holidays, special projects, equipment down time

10. Estimating Sign Demand • 750,000 signs in South Carolina • 10 year replacement schedule • 12.5% additional for new and damaged signs. • About 84,000 signs per year

11. Required Production • 52 weeks X 4 days = 208 days/year • Holidays = 13 days/year • Sick days = 8 days/year • Annual leave = 12 days/year • Special projects = 3 days/year • Inventory = 5 days/year • Annual average work days = 167 • Required production 84,000/167 • = ~ 500/day

12. Staffing by Production Estimates 1-Supervisor 1-Screen Printer 2-Roll and Trim 2-Hand laid signs 1-Admin 1-Shipping/receiving

13. Performance Monitoring • SMART production goals are part of the position description • Production is monitored daily • Coaching and counseling is used for underperforming employees • All current employees are meeting or surpassing required production goals

14. Cost Comparison • Costs were compared to measure efficiency of new sign production process • Private vendors were queried but would only give verbal estimates • SCDC Prison Industries produces signs and has a current contract for various types of signs • SCDOT production costs encourage in-house sign production

17. Sign Maintenance

18. History • In 2003, SCDOT implemented HMMS • Need to inventory assets to know what needed to be managed • Sign Inventory • Barcode signs and assemblies

19. Barcode Information • Sign • Manufacturing Process • Manufacture Date • Sign Type • Sheeting Type • Sign Legend • Installation Process • Install date • Directional Information • Linked assembly

20. Barcode Information • Assembly • Installation Process • Location • County, Route, Milepoint • GPS • Associated signs

21. Data Collection Method • All barcode information was manually recorded and entered into HMMS • Paperwork Lost • Entry Delay • Entry Errors • Inefficient • ….Inaccurate database • IT Presentation – Barcode Readers and Tablet PCs

22. Sign Management • Retroreflectivity– Minimum standards • 23 CFR Part 655 • 2009 MUTCD • Regulatory, Warning, and Ground Mounted Guide by January 22, 2015 • Overhead Guide by January 22, 2018 • Management Method • “Blanket Replacement Method” • “Expected Life Method”

23. Technology Enhancements • Scanners for Sign Manufacturing Shop • iPads and Bluetooth Scanners for Sign Crews

25. 200056

32. Cost Savings • 90 sign trucks statewide • 15signs per day per truck – (avg. daily prod) • Reduction of data collection and entry by 2 minutes per sign • Results in a savings of 45hours per day • Average loaded rate of $21.75 /hour and 217 actual days worked per year. • Total Annual Savings: $213,000 • Additional benefits: • Real time data • Accurate data

33. Lessons Learned • Need to have sense of ownership from IT • Need to cache data so it isn’t dependent on cellular service

34. Future Improvements • Research Project – Life Expectancy • Develop more specific replacement schedules • Sheeting color • Direction • Sheeting type • …? • Remove unnecessary signs

36. Questions?