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More than 1,500 employee ideas and $10M in savings resonates with judges.

ITD now two-time finalist for Idaho
Innovative Company of the Year

State agencies are not known for being hotbeds of innovation and culture…but maybe they should be. The Idaho Transportation Department was recently named a finalist in a statewide search for innovative companies by the Idaho Technology Council, which marks the second time ITD has made that select group. The department was also a finalist in 2016.

Then, as now, ITD is the only public-service state agency to make the list.

The Innovative Company of the Year winner will be announced Oct. 23 at the Idaho Technology Council's Innovation Awards in Boise.

Since the department launched Innovate ITD five years ago, ITD employees have submitted more than 1,500 ideas and implemented 1,000. Because of those implemented ideas, ITD has saved more than 200,000 hours, found more than 600 improvements for our customers, and re-directed more than $10 million in savings and efficiencies back to critical repairs of the state’s roads and bridges.

Whereas the innovations of most for-profit companies only benefit a select number of consumers, the department’s $10 million in savings touches every taxpayer and road user who passes through the state.

“This is an employee-driven effort,” said ITD Chief Administrative Officer and Innovation Champion Char McArthur. “ITD’s innovations are created by our employees, and most of them are created by teams that include front-line employees.”

Idaho’s state transportation system connects people to jobs, education, healthcare, places of worship, cultural and sporting events, recreational opportunities, and family members. It helps ensure security at home and abroad. A strong transportation system is critical to the nation’s and Idaho’s economy. A robust, growing economy requires a strong transportation system.

“Continuous improvement is one of the department’s key strategies to deliver value to the taxpayers,” McArthur explained. “ITD innovation also serves as a performance benchmark for other state agencies in Idaho and DOTs across the country.”

“ITD has cultivated an atmosphere where innovation and employee empowerment are the norm. We value employee ideas and contributions, and our employees know each improvement benefits Idaho's citizens — our families, friends and neighbors,” McArthur said.