The biggest challenge in transformation is usually the human aspect

Jan 02, 2022

I once constructed a national business case for a transformational change in railway control systems – specifically a programme to implement management control centres in place of the plethora of mechanical signal boxes, power signal boxes and electrical control rooms then in use across the UK.

The proposed solution was a computerised system to implement the timetable and day to day running of the system, with a human controller on stand-by to intervene in exceptional circumstances. At its heart, this solution was based around a digital twin of the railway, although the term ‘digital twin’ was not in common use then.

In addition to operational performance enhancement, the transformation implied a considerable change for the staff. The management control centre for each region would have only a few operational positions with configurable screens to zoom in on issues as they arose. There would be no need to populate multiple signal boxes and electrical control rooms to handle the normal running of the railway. As well as a reduction in numbers, a different mindset and set of skills would be required – the operators would not be engaging with routine tasks, but intervening only when the challenges became beyond the capabilities of the computerised system.

A major element of this programme was not the technology (although that was not a trivial problem), but the human impact, and managing the transition to a new operating model without adversely disrupting day to day operations as the solution was implemented.

Digitalisation is just one of the drivers that will have a deep and wide-ranging effect on many businesses across multiple sectors. Contact me if you want to discuss your transformational challenges (Tim Walsh and I have both assessed the implications and managed the implementation of change in a range of contexts, and it is in order to engage in such challenges that we established Collcutt Associates).

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