Currently employing well over 3,000 people and with a fleet of close to 1200 buses, RATP Dev London (London United Busways, London Sovereign and Quality Line) is responsible for 70 bus routes throughout the city. The company runs services from ten operational garages located across London and operates 12% of the London bus market. The organisation prides itself on providing customers with the best passenger experience possible and is set to launch two new electric routes in the coming months. As part of its long-term transformation strategy, the company is currently overhauling its approach to processes, systems, culture and people to place safety and service delivery at the heart of its business.
One team, one vision, one goal
Since the very outset, RATP Dev London has always strived to provide an optimum quality level of service to the 271 million passengers it transports each year. Ensuring reliability, regularity and passenger safety are fundamental aspects of its commitment to excellence and RATP Dev London continuously strives to improve what it does and the manner in which it does it. Over the coming months the organisation will be producing a clear vision and roadmap for the transformation of its business over the next few years. The roadmap will introduce a collaborative approach to change and bring on-board the entire company. For Fiona Taylor, RATP Dev London’s Managing Director, “The implementation of a long-term transformation strategy is key to maintaining and growing our position in the incredibly competitive and challenging London bus market. Our roadmap will enable us to align our actions with those outlined in the WeDrive RATP Dev strategic project, as well as the objectives of Transport for London.”
CI WORKSHOPS
The implementation of CI workshops, within RATP Dev London’s engineering department, is just one example of the successful adoption of increasingly collaborative ways of working. So far, two rounds of workshops - involving the department’s 200 members of staff - have taken place within the London depots themselves. During the two sessions that took place over the course of the summer, employees set out to identify opportunities to render performance more efficient and effective, eliminate waste, streamline forward planning and promote increased interaction between operational staff and engineers. Transformation Director, Catherine Chardon, says, “By engaging the very people who actually perform the tasks in question and therefore know first-hand the issues at stake, areas for change can be identified more efficiently. The introduction of visual management tools such as high visibility, timed planning boards, have played a vital role in helping get employees on-board and place them at the very heart of the transformation project.”
The adoption of this host of initiatives - focusing specifically on collaborative working, value and waste analysis and prioritising passenger satisfaction and safety - have ensured that RATP Dev London is well on its way on the road to success. As the roadmap is rolled out, the organisation will most certainly have its goal of becoming London’s transport and bus operator of choice within its sights!