A six-week time and motion study of the Highway Department’s maintenance work force was the focus of this report. Work crews of the department in seventeen counties were observed by PEER auditors. Crews were observed continually throughout the workday if weather conditions permitted work. Total observation time was classified as either work time, break time, slack time, or travel time.
Although there were exceptions. Highway Department management had not obtained maximum efficiency from maintenance work crews. PEER auditors noted that productivity was higher among crews when the foreman was present. Auditors also determined that the unproductive work time was costing annually over $400,000. The PEER Committee recommended that the department institute a system in which inspection teams of district and state office personnel would continuously review maintenance work crews and compute time and motion data. Maintenance superintendents should make more frequent on-site inspections of crews, and foremen should make at lease one random, unannounced visit at each county work site each day. In addition, the Classification Commission should conduct an analysis to determine if excessive maintenance positions have been authorized.
For a paper copy of this report, contact PEER by telephone at 601-359-1226 or by e-mail at reports@peer.ms.gov.