Q&A ASK THE EXPERT Could you Tackling ISSUES


Emma Marshall answers your questions


tackle cost issues?


Q A


There are a number of ways to reduce costs without cutting staff, including improved procurement, economies of


scale and process redesign. However, one of the fi rst areas to look at should be the cost of poor quality – a rapid way to reduce non-personnel costs such as contract penalties and lost income. The introduction of the independent appeals service, POPLA, highlights the need for strong quality management, so let’s take reducing appeals as an example. However, the approach applies equally to any operation, from manufacturing parking stationery, to managing lines and signs on street.


I need to reduce my operational costs, but I don’t want to reduce staff numbers. How else can I


provide expert advice for your fellow


professionals, or have you got a problem you’d like answered? If so, simply email editor@ britishparking.co.uk


To start, you need a continuous improvement cycle such as Precision Parking’s BADIS cycle (baseline, analyse, design, implement and sustain) – only then will you be able to measure the impact of your solutions and sustain improvement. Under the ‘analyse’ phase of the cycle there are many techniques to choose from. However, two techniques that work well together and generate quick wins are Pareto Analysis and Root Cause Analysis. To carry out a Pareto analysis, list all the reasons that your tickets are appealed, starting with the most frequent. The Pareto Principle will probably apply: roughly 80 per cent of issues will arise from 20 per cent of the causes. So it makes sense to examine those appeal categories in the fi rst 20 per cent fi rst. To deal with these common appeal categories, you need to run a Root Cause Analysis (RCA) workshop. Take each category in turn and, for each, ask ‘why does this happen?’ The


fi rst answer may not be the real problem – as a rule of thumb, you need to ask ‘why’ fi ve times to get to the root cause. Simple but effective, although be prepared for a lot of debate, and don’t stop at an answer that sounds like a root cause,


but isn’t. Keep going until you’ve exhausted all the possible answers. To ensure an unbiased view, the workshops should involve a cross section of your team. Once you’ve unearthed the root cause, you can design and implement a solution. However, you must ensure solutions are measurable in terms of impact and implementation; this will enable you to: 1. Monitor improvement through continued data analysis 2. Sustain change by ensuring new ways of working are adhered to


This process should be repeated regularly to ensure continuous improvement. With any project of this nature, it is vital to remember that communication and visible support from the top down is key to long-term success.


This month’s expert: Emma Marshall of Precision Parking answers your parking questions


Choose . . .


Cash Payments Coins Banknotes GBP + Euro


...the fl exible solution to futureproof parking


Choose . . .


Cashless Payments PCI PA-DSS Chip & Pin Contactless Cards SMART & E-Purse


Choose . . . Choose . . .


Choose . . .


Metric Mobile Phone Payments Virtual Permits ASLAN Integration UK Call Centre


Metric Plus 1st


Line Maintenance Real-time Monitoring Service Cash Collections


Choose . . .


ANPR Integration 8000 Ticket Capacity Power Options Web Back Offi ce EV Charging


Metric Leasing Fixed Payments Flexible Terms 0% Interest Plans Payment Holidays


no other parking machine gives your consumers more choice...


tel: 01793 647800 | email: sales@metricgroup.co.uk | www.metricgroup.co.uk www.britishparking.co.uk FEBRUARY 2013 29


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