EFFICIENCY AND LEAN
Lean ERP for rail engineering operations
Simon David, partner and director at Vissap Ltd, describes its work helping ScotRail to overhaul its fl eet management system.
n 2011, the engineering operations of a major UK-based train operating company, ScotRail, were unhappy with the performance and governance of their SAP R/3-based fl eet management system.
I
British Rail-based legacy functionality had been successfully replaced, but two years after implementation, process and technical weaknesses were resulting in a
perceived failure to address the needs of the business.
Vissap were engaged to support improvement of the ScotRail Integrated Fleet Management System in terms of functionality, process and governance, thereby leveraging the SAP R/3 investment into a world class ERP and asset management tool.
Vissap solution Vissap deployed a cross-functional
structure was implemented involving a newly- created position of ‘engineering information systems manager’, supported by key users, to provide for client ownership and sustainability of the improvements. Regular depot health check activities were instigated as part of this function.
These initiatives were supported by a rolling training programme and a user feedback forum.
Enhancements included:
• Implementation of vendor owned stock within the fl eet management system, thereby improving visibility and control;
team
of Lean and ERP experts to conduct an intensive Lean-ERP
deep dive review of
engineering operations, focusing on process alignment and links between system usage and operational activities.
The deep dive review involved attendance at six sites, and interviews with over 40 key personnel. Vissap gathered metrics and created multifunctional process maps for the following in-scope functions: engineering change management; planning and control; depot operations; defect reporting; procurement and stores.
Particular attention was paid to documenting any non-standard tools and workarounds being employed; for example, 50 ‘mission critical’ offl ine spreadsheets were identifi ed.
The fi ndings were presented at board level and received positively by the client.
Project realisation
Vissap then implemented a 12-month programme
of process alignment and
system enhancement activities aimed at realising the full benefi ts potential of the fl eet management system.
Proposed enhancements were prioritised based on a cost, benefi t and feasibility assessment, which was conducted jointly with client management. A governance
94 | rail technology magazine Dec/Jan 14
Such a system was needed to eliminate signifi cant paper-based administrative processes around defect and labour time recording, and to improve the quality of engineering information available to the shop fl oor. For example, under legacy processes a
considerable overhead was incurred
simply to re-key completed exam sheets into the fl eet management system. Further expense was then incurred to scan and archive the original hard copy data. The overhead
• Developing enhanced operational reporting functionality and processes, including standardised defect reporting;
• Developing an integrated fl eet whole life cost model, providing real time KPIs (eg cost per mile), with full drill-down capability to specifi c cost drivers and engineering activities.
Focus activity: Shop fl oor data collection Project impact summary
A major priority identifi ed during the deep dive review was development of a shop fl oor data collection system, based on real-time touchscreen technology. The newly-developed SFDC is now accessed by operations staff throughout the shift, and interfaces directly with ScotRail’s core SAP-based fl eet management system to ensure the integrity of the vehicle history and costing data.
Apart from supporting operational improvement, the project has achieved recognition of the centrality of the integrated fl eet management system, which is being embedded in
future business development
planning. Vissap has an ongoing relationship with this important client.
Our engagements look to enhance effectiveness by eliminating non-value-added activity, integrating business systems with the operational process, and leveraging new technologies such as real time data capture.
We feel the ScotRail project has achieved this, and anticipate further engagements as the sector moves through the re-franchising period.
www.vissap.com FOR MORE INFORMATION
• Implementation of industry best practice warranty and return to vendor processes, using core SAP functionality, and allowing accurate tracking of warranty claims and returned parts;
Left and below: From
this...to this
redeployment alone equated to a one year payback on the project investment.
The time lag between data capture and data entry in turn made it diffi cult to access real-time KPIs to track depot operational performance. Moreover, any change to vehicle maintenance instructions resulted in a time-consuming ‘search and replace’ task for previously printed hard copies – failure to do this would have potentially serious safety implications.
First ScotRail have now deployed the SFDC solution to four depots, where it is being used for maintenance exam sign-off, recording of ad hoc defects, and display of the VMIs. Further enhancements currently under development include capture of critical measurement information such as wheel thickness, visualisation of real-time KPIs and deployment to mobile devices.
Additionally, exam task sign-off by the operators themselves is enabling ScotRail to build a profi le of job experience down to individual operator level, which will be used to support competency assessment and training needs analysis.
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