Enabling Change

Here is a portfolio of some of the change projects we have successfully managed and supported for railways and engineering, working in close collaboration with customer teams:

engineering team integration

Working closely with an Engineering Leader and the newly appointed management team for a major UK railway operator, we successfully supported embedding a new matrix operating model into a critical delivery business unit. Key deliverables included:

  • Developing a Business Management Improvement plan and supported the formation of a team to deliver. 
  • Developing the local ‘How Engineering Works’ detailed organisational model with the team.
  • Facilitating local reviews with individuals Heads of Function and their teams to produce change plans with ownership.

technology portfolio management

A newly formed technology function of a major UK railway business had grown rapidly and was struggling to prioritise, control and report on the expanding portfolio of projects. We worked closely with the team to:

  • Facilitate workshops to develop a shared understanding of purpose and objectives.
  • Developed a value model to map projects and outcomes to corporate goals.
  • Establish collaborative web-based management tools to provide a "single source of truth" for all team members to control and report progress.
  • Review the project portfolio and establish weekly and period visualisation sessions and reporting.
  • Develop KPIs and Metrics to drive future performance.

corporate transformation

As an embedded associate of a major consulting practice Transformation Partner team, we provided extensive railway engineering knowledge and expertise over a c. 2 year period to support the Organisational Design and successful implementation of a new corporate Engineering function for a major railway business. Taking a leading role in supporting critical aspects including:

  • Designing key engineering roles and responsibilities within the new organisation.
  • Developing principles for Technical Authority implementation in a Matrix model.
  • Facilitating the development of the Vision, Goals & Objectives for the new function.
  • Leading the development and control of detailed migration states for the new organisation across many workstreams.
  • This major new organisation successfully went live to meet corporate timescales.

Engineering process Maturity

Working for the Engineering Director of a major UK engineering supplier to the railway industry that had grown rapidly by acquisition, we developed and delivered a comprehensive assessment of core engineering processes and management capability to address business performance and customer issues. We:

  • Developed an agreed Engineering Core Process model and maturity assessment framework with key stakeholders.
  • Assessed capability at regional offices across the UK interviewing engineers from apprentice to director level. 
  • Produced and delivered an assessment report and 10-point improvement plan that was accepted and implemented by the engineering team and has formed the basis of the ongoing engineering management development plan.

enterprise management system selection

We have extensive experience of selecting and implementing engineering and asset management systems including replacement of critical core Maintenance Management Systems for a major railway maintenance business. We supported the Board by leading and facilitating the business team in implementing a systematic selection process including: 

  • Business Case Appraisal - an objective assessment of the business case for the planned investment based on a comprehensive model of cost and value drivers.
  • Detailed analysis of existing legacy systems to inform developing detailed Functional Specifications.
  • Testing market interest and capability, evaluating supplier responses.
  • Developing Demonstration Scenarios to test the supplier understanding and evaluate “real life” working in the customer environment.
  • Conducting reference site visits to evaluate a "real life" implementation.
  • Indicative Pricing evaluation to provide a value for money context to functionality.
  • Establish an appropriate implementation methodology.
  • Risk Assessment associated with each supplier.
  • Final Supplier Evaluation and analysis of results to provide an objective comparison and make an "eyes open" decision.

corporate engineering review

Supporting the corporate Engineering Director of a major railway business group, we worked with key stakeholders across the business to develop and evaluate organisational model options. Key deliverables included:

  • Developing detailed accountabilities for key roles and modelling how these would work in practice.
  • Testing with challenging stakeholders in a series of workshops and individual sessions to support decisions and communication.
  • Developing detailed organisational architecture models that were successfully used to present proposals and form the basis for the ongoing transformation programme. 

programme "potic" blueprint

A major railway upgrade required a Programme Concept and Blueprint POTIC (Process, Organisation, Technology, Information Culture) analysis to meet programme governance requirements and Managing Successful Programmes best practice. For each of the key benefits required from the Programme, a POTIC model was developed to define the key changes and enables required to realise the benefits. This was achieved through:

  • Designing and implementing a rapid structured process, producing documentation and briefing participants.
  • Initially identifying all the benefits from the concept and blueprint that had significant change associated.
  • Facilitating workshops and meetings with stakeholders to define the POTIC requirements in a series of structured tables.
  • The tables were accepted by the stakeholders and used to facilitate wider engagement with the business. 

interface risk management

We developed and implemented a Technical Interface Risk Management process and training course for a major railway upgrade Programme to enable the successful implementation of a new risk management tool. Working with the programme engineering team, we supported the improvement of engineering risk management that reduced delays and costs through: 

  • Developing the detailed process with specific roles and responsibilities (RACI).
  • Producing and delivering an activity-based training programme using practical interactive exercises to identify, categorise & prioritise, implement appropriate controls and managed delivery.
  • Training over 100 engineers and managers with very positive feedback that they felt better equipped to manage technical interface risk.

programme sponsor risk assessment

We successfully facilitated the Programme Requirements Compliance Risk Assessment for the Sponsor of a c. £billion railway engineering programme. This was achieved through:

  • Developing and facilitating a process to rapidly and pragmatically assess the risk of requirements compliance for a newly negotiated major supply contract. 
  • Production of a compliance matrix based on the baseline requirements + subsequent sponsor instructions. 
  • Assignment of delivery team engineers to produce compliance arguments for each relevant requirements.
  • Assignment of an independent engineering team reviewer.
  • Categorisation of each requirement then a workshop with all stakeholders facilitated to moderate the results and agree to residual risk mitigation actions. 
  • Documenting a final report formally approved by all key stakeholders for governance.
  • The process was completed on time and the results commended by the Sponsor and Head of Engineering.

performance reporting centralisation

We supported the Finance Director of a major UK railway business in successfully centralising and rationalising multiple separate performance reporting functions to deliver significant efficiencies and improvements. We supported by:

  • Providing initial interim leadership of the teams whilst the new leader was appointed.
  • Planning in detail and implementing the change project, including significant organisational, process and cultural change as each business area moved from locally controlled teams and practices to being dependent on a centralised function to provide critical business information. 
  • Effectively managing key stakeholders and maintaining confidence throughout the process.
  • Delivering the change and savings successfully, on time and without business disruption.

capital programme change vision

We supported the Programme Director and engineering management team of a major railway upgrade in developing an ambitious Change Vision and implementation plan to deliver at dramatically reduced cost through innovative collaborative delivery approaches. We:

  • Worked closely with functional managers in Engineering, Commercial, Operations, Maintenance and Programme Management to develop clear objectives and detailed change delivery plans to achieve the Vision. 
  • Led the negotiation and delivery of specific Director level change targets across the business to support the Vision.
  • Provided change leadership and project management to the delivery of these targets through mobilisation (including reporting/presentations at Director level).
  • Rapidly developed critical business processes (e.g. Acceptance, Risk Management, Change Management) to enable the programme to successfully meet governance Gate requirements and obligations.
  • Developed and implemented a methodology to identify critical business processes, categorised for required and current maturity, identified current status and gap analysis, developed appropriate robust process documentation and implementation plans resulting in validated processes assured to achieve business objectives with process metrics.

configuration management process

We successfully led the delivery of the critical Engineering Configuration Management (CM) Process Improvement Project for the Head of Engineering on a major railway upgrade programme which was experiencing significant delay and cost impacts from configuration issues. We: 

  • Undertook an initial process and organisational assessment, resulting in a comprehensive process improvement plan.
  • Delivered the improvement plan including developing a Programme Configuration Management Plan, detailed CM process models, roles and responsibilities and performance targets. 
  • Developed overview and detailed practitioner training programmes which were delivered to over 100 Project Engineers & Managers. 
  • Developed a project facilitation process and supported c. 15 priority projects in successfully developing and implementing Configuration Management plans.

asset management planning process

We successfully delivered the redesign of a critical business process to produce the Asset Management Plan for a major UK rail asset management business. Working for the Head of Asset Management and with a wide range of stakeholders, we: 

  • Mapped the “as-is” for this complex process across multiple business functions and interfaces, which originally took over 6 months to complete.
  • Developed and implemented an improved production process that delivered a higher quality plan in half the time and at a significantly reduced cost.
  • Developed and implemented management arrangements that place the asset management plan at the heart of managing the business.

operational systems evaluation

Working for the Directors of an international group, we delivered a comprehensive review of the operational management systems in an acquisition target to:

  • Establish adequacy of systems to operate on "day one". 
  • Develop a strategy to implement more effective solutions to drive performance improvements and cost reduction.
  • Informing the business case and plan for the acquisition.

strategic market review

We successfully delivered a Strategic Market Review for an international maintenance provider, evaluating a new target market sector for growth potential and developing strategic entry options. This included:

  • Comprehensive research of the market including customer interviews, background searches and segmentation of the market.
  • Competitor analysis and market positioning.
  • Development of implementation plan to identify key enablers and options (including acquisition targets).

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