What is Operational Readiness?
Frank McCarthy is a training consultant with extensive experience in the introduction of new assets into use. He has over 20 years experience in the rail and training fields. He uses training needs analysis and task analysis to quantify what is required to make an asset ‘operationally ready’. Here he shares his expertise.
As a rail training consultant I am often involved in the ‘end game’, the transition from construction site to operational premises, be it retail, power industry, rail or many others, operational readiness is what is called for, so what is it?
At its simplest, it is the assurance that a new asset does what it is supposed to do in an ‘operational’ environment, with staff and with customers, safely and efficiently.
“A lot of people only think of this at the end, when it may already be too late.”
Table top exercises can also help.
There are three stages where operational readiness need to factor:
Design
How do we want the asset to perform? This is often best described in an ‘operational concept’ a client led description of what they want their asset to do, to what level, how many staff, how many customers etc. Staff costs and other budgets may be set at this stage as well.
Build
As the build progresses, the operational concept needs to be referred to and adapted if needed and if possible. Predicted staff and customer usage can dictate width of corridors, numbers of rooms, exits etc.
Handover
Operational readiness will assure clients that their soon to open asset will work as they want it to, safely and efficiently. Often known as ‘trial operations’ operational readiness can be run as a series of ‘fire drill’ type scenarios, as always, the best way of doing things is the most resource hungry! While table tops are great for gathering information (e.g. Day In The Life Of (DITLOs)) operating in the real environment is great both for testing the asset and for training the staff.
Planning to be operationally prepared for project delivery / opening is a key success factor often overlooked. (See terminal 5 at Heathrow March 2008) Staff training and familiarisation, fire drills, simulated equipment failures and other scenarios are all best dealt with in a safe environment rather than as a real situation!
It will also comply with various regulations (e.g. The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005), various project management frameworks and provide evidence for audit purposes.
Making the asset as ‘real’ as possible is key.
In identifying what scenarios to run, some are obvious (fire drill etc) however having end user, operational input during the design, build and handover stages will make this scenario list relevant and practical.
Take a new train station as an example, the builders will work hard to get it as clean and realistic as possible – what a waste if the operator comes in and looks around and says ‘what will we do now?’ we want the operator to be prepared, have a series of scripts, have success factors, have paperwork prepared and have observers ready. (Scripts, checklists of the ‘correct’ way to do things, (.g. from a rule book) observers to complete the paperwork)
At the other end of the spectrum, operators wanting to run a trial operation on what to do if aliens invade is to be discouraged (unless we are getting Area 54 ready!). So having good operational representation at all stages is very important, this will help to set realistic goals for the operator while using resources in an economical way
There may also be a situation where the engineers will want to continue work around the operational readiness activities, so agreeing a handover process is essential, that way the operator may want the site available in an operational state 0700-1500, leaving 1500 - 0700 free for construction work. In order to allow both activities to occur safely a clear robust handover / hand back procedure is needed.
“If you don’t have success criteria, how do you know you’ve succeeded?”
The keys to success are:
- Plan early for operational readiness
- Keep it on the agenda during the construction phase
- Keep it in the programme
- Make sure it has structure, resources
and finally…
- Make sure you have clear success criteria
What is the point of carrying out a ‘persons trapped in lift’ scenario when, at the end you have no idea if 22 minutes to get them out was good, bad or indifferent?
With clear success criteria a concise report detailing the scenarios run and their success or failure can be written satisfying all stakeholders concerned. After all, if you don’t have success criteria, how do you know you’ve succeeded?
