Transportation – Track Renewals
Lean Transformation
Business Challenge
Consistent historic volume losses and, looking ahead, a significant capacity challenge with yet more cost pressures, meant that High Output Track Renewals needed a step change in efficiency.
Background
- Due to the heavy utilisation of the network, particularly during the day, the Track Renewals capability could only realistically be deployed at night and at weekends. Initial analysis indicated that in an eight hour midweek ‘Possession’, extensive set-up and set-down times resulted in an average 40 minute production window on track replacement (TRS) and c.60 minutes on ballast cleaning (BCS).
“We’ve used lots of different consultancies before, but none of them have been able to deliver any sustainable improvement. Ingersoll have done what they said they would do, and then some. Working with these guys has been one of the best experiences of my career.”
Approach
- Working with depot-based multi-disciplined teams in the planning and execution activity, over 100 improvement opportunities were identified, scoped and deployed.
- Improvements focused on “stage gate” production planning, set-up time reduction, improved tools management, and a “Formula 1 Pit Stop” approach to team organisation, training and preparation.
- Simple ‘quick reference guides’, based on the identified best practices, were provided to the teams to ensure sutainability.
Key Achievements & Value Delivered
- Sustained 20% reduction in set-up and set-down times has resulted in the production window being more than doubled for TRS and c.50% increase for BCS.