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Analysis of Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) Benefits & Costs

This research aimed to assess the benefits and costs associated with implementation of the pooled fund Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) by a state transportation agency and to distill this information in a format that is accessible and actionable to transportation agency decision-makers and elected officials. To this end, extensive stakeholder interviews were conducted to help develop the methodology used to analyze MDSS benefits and costs. The research team interviewed two different groups of stakeholders: maintenance personnel at pooled fund member state transportation agencies and selected staff at Meridian Environmental Technologies, the contractor responsible for development of the pooled fund MDSS. A methodology consisting of a baseline data module and a simulation module was developed for analyzing tangible benefits, which include reduced material use (agency benefit), improved traffic safety (user benefit), and reduced traffic delay (user benefit). The methodology was applied to three pooled fund states, which belong to different climatological groups. Analysis results indicated that the use of MDSS could bring more benefits than costs. In addition, a Function Analysis System Technique (FAST) was used to characterize the intangible benefits of MDSS. Finally, a stakeholder outreach plan was developed. Three different formats of outreach materials, Web page, brochure, and PowerPoint presentation, were used to make the results and findings accessible to appropriate audiences.