REORGANIZATION TO CREW SPECIALIZATION IN PENNSYLVANIA

BY DEFINITION, CREW SPECIALIZATION IS THE ORGANIZING OF EXISTING MANPOWER AND EQUIPMENT INTO MANAGEMENT UNITS CAPABLE OF PERFORMING A LIMITED NUMBER OF SPECIALIZED TASKS WITH THE GOALS OF INCREASING PRODUCTIVITY AND THE QUALITY OF WORK, COMPLETE UTILIZATION OF SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT, AND A MORE UNIFORM LEVEL OF MAINTENANCE THROUGHOUT A GIVEN AREA. ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CONCEPT ARE A NUMBER OF ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. THE ADVANTAGES ARE: (1) SIMPLIFIES TRAINING OF PERSONNEL; (2) FACILITATES MECHANIZED PRODUCTION; (3) IMPROVES EXPERTISE FOR ONE OR TWO OPERATIONS; (4) PERMITS GREATER UTILIZATION OF SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT; (5) MANDATES ADVANCE PLANNING AND SCHEDULING OF OPERATIONS; AND (6) REDUCES THE DEGREE OF ERROR ASSOCIATED WITH AN UNFAMILAR OPERATION. THE DISADVANTAGES ARE: (1) INCREASES CREW TRAVEL TIME; (2) CREATES SOME DIFFICULTY IN SETTING UP SECONDARY OPERATIONS DURING FOUL WEATHER CONDITIONS; (3) REDUCES THE ASSOCIATION OF A CREW TO A GIVEN SECTION; (4) NECESSITATES REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE USE OF THE FOREMAN'S PICKUP; AND (5) CHANGES THE STATUS QUO GENERATING POLITICAL FEEDBACK. /AUTHOR/

• Record URL:
  http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/hrr/1971/347/347-030.pdf
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
• Authors:
  • O'Brien, Louis G
• Conference:
  • Maintenance Management Workshop
  • Location: Urbana-Champaign Illinois, United States
  • Date: 1970-8-3 to 1970-8-5
• Publication Date: 1971

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 209-216
• Monograph Title: Maintenance planning and supervision
• Serial:
  • Highway Research Record
  • Issue Number: 347
  • Publisher: Highway Research Board

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Equipment; Maintenance; Organizations; Personnel; Planning; Production; Quality control; Scheduling; Ship crews; Specialists
• Uncontrolled Terms: Quality
• Geographic Terms: Pennsylvania
• Old TRIS Terms: Crew specialization
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Planning and Forecasting; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00218831
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Mar 7 1972 12:00AM