Freight Wagon Fleet Availability Improvement
Streamlining maintenance practices increases haulage capacity
- 3 minutes read
This government-owned railway company is responsible for nationwide rail operations and asset management for freight rolling stock and network infrastructure.
A key strategic objective for the government is to redevelop the rail network to compete against alternative transport modes for national freight movements.
Wagon fleet capacity was a critical issue restricting the freight movement growth on the railway. On average, 470 wagons were unserviceable daily, resulting in $47.6M in lost annual revenue capacity.
ORBIZ was engaged to facilitate a study of the current situation, including regional customer demand, fleet planning practices and maintenance operations and to identify opportunities for improvement. Following the study, a project to increase wagon fleet availability by improving maintenance efficiency to reduce wagon Turnaround Time (TAT) in the workshop was initiated.
33%
44%
$6.6M
The approach
ORBIZ was engaged in developing and implementing a management operating system and supporting modern maintenance practices to establish an operational excellence platform for wagon asset management.
The new system and practices would be trialled and established in a pilot site, then replicated at six other regional depots nationwide.
Engagement with a dispirited workforce, active union, and various stakeholders from other organisational functions through a robust change management process was critical to project success.
The solutions
A sequence of workforce engagement workshops involving the maintenance teams studied the current operating practices and agreed on implementing system and process improvements.
A Visual Performance Centre (VPC) comprising company and depot metrics became the forum for daily pre and post-shift meetings, resource planning, performance review, and problem-solving activity.
Standardised processes for completing maintenance activities safely and efficiently for each wagon type were agreed upon, documented and formalised through operating procedures.
Standard tooling and equipment kits to ensure safety, engineering compliance and efficiency were agreed upon and formalised through operating procedures and shadow boards.
The depot layout and process flow were reviewed and redesigned to optimise safety and efficiency. The team embedded a 5S and workshop organisation culture through training, equipment provision and an audit process.
The team redesigned the stores and inventory areas, improving material control and process flow, and then developed a kitting system to supply repair kits directly from stores to the lineside.
ORBIZ provided training and coaching in all aspects of Lean management introduced to all team members, including management teams, frontline leadership, and tradespeople.
ORBIZ also managed the procurement and delivery of minor civil works, the acquisition of new tooling and equipment, and the execution of all aspects of the implementation program.
Learn more about our services
Interested in learning more about how ORBIZ can help your organisation? Fill in your details below and one of our team members will be in touch.