U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
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Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology
Coordinating, Developing, and Delivering Highway Transportation Innovations
REPORT |
This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information |
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Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-13-038 Date: November 2013 |
Publication Number: FHWA-HRT-13-038 Date: November 2013 |
Modern quality management system concepts are based on a continual cycle of assessments and updates. All systems require formal assessments. Based on the results of the assessments, updates are performed.
Regardless of the age of a management system, formal assessments should be performed at periodic intervals to identify improvement opportunities.
Assessment tactics may include using panels composed of available internal agency staff and external peer review experts. While internal review panels provide recommendations based on the current system, external peer reviews can provide lessons learned from the experience gained from other management methods.
As new materials and construction methods are implemented, the models used for both planning and design need to be updated based on field observations.
Creating a proper database designed to document past construction needs and planned construction needs is the recommended approach for updating the various elements included in the management system.