"On the right track" with Lean
The German railway company Deutsche Bahn (DB) has set itself the goal of transitioning to the use of 100% green electricity for train propulsion purposes, and completing the transition by 2038 instead of 2050 as previously planned. “Strong Rail” is the name of the umbrella strategy that DB is applying to deliver climate-friendly mobility and the associated requirements in the coming years. The route network is being expanded, and energy systems and stations are being modernised. Efficient cooperation between all parties is crucial for the implementation of these demanding infrastructure projects within a short period of time. For the industry, this creates an opportunity for fundamental change. Only with a shift of mindset in the direction of digitalisation, lean management and new forms of partnershipbased cooperation between all stakeholders will the “Strong Rail” objectives be achieved.
Complex infrastructure project in Braunschweig
In mid-2020, as part of the “Strong Rail” strategy, the go-ahead was given for the project “Stationsoffensive Regionalverband Grossraum Braunschweig” (StOff ), which includes the demolition and new construction of seven train stations in and around the city of Braunschweig. The regional association for the greater Braunschweig area (Regionalverband Grossraum Braunschweig) and the station operator (DB Station&Service, or DB S&S) are thus constructing these modern, barrier-free stations close to residential areas, increasing the attractiveness of local rail transport in the area. It is a complex project with numerous stakeholders, including cities, municipalities and communities, requiring interfaces to be coordinated well in advance and the involvement of all affected and involved parties right from the start. Furthermore, in addition to the construction of the new stations, the programme of works also includes the deconstruction of old and outdated stations, necessitating the expertise of many different trades. The planning and design work thus involves the consideration of different options in determining how best to meet the needs of the interested parties and enable construction to start in 2026/2027. In the initial stages of the programme, the General Planner is DB Engineering & Consulting (DB E&C) and Inros Lackner is supporting the programme in the roles of project manager, BIM consultant and lean consultant. Following after the uPva fire protection project relating to underground passenger traffic systems in Hamburg, this is our second Deutsche Bahn project in which all those involved have committed themselves to consistently applying the lean principles:
- Lean Management: A management approach that is characterised in particular by the basic principles of decentralisation and parallelisation, with the aim of increasing customer orientation while consistently reducing costs. (Source: Gabler Wirtschaftslexikon)
Management based on lean principles
Step 1 Kick-off with Lego simulations: What needs to be done for a successful project start? Often, due to time pressure and the pressure to succeed, not enough attention is paid to how the project is commenced – potentially resulting in exploding costs and severe delays to project completion. The kick-off phase is the foundation for the rest of the project. For the start of the StOff project, Inros Lackner, as project manager and lean consultant, made a point of organising training days (covering the topics of Lean and Lean Construction) and coordination meetings in which the project goals, the way to get there and the parties’ preferences relating to the project implementation were discussed in a spirit of collaboration. In winter 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the kick-off events were limited to small groups and digital formats. The collaborative kick-off defines the goals and tasks, the lean principles and the client's project vision for all those involved.
- Kick-off: These events serve to clarify the goals of the next period and to motivate. They usually take place at the beginning of the year, the beginning of a project or the beginning of a period of transition. (Source: leanmagazin.de)
A significant contribution can be made to the kick-off phase by simulation exercises, such as Villego® workshops which involve the use of Lego building blocks to explain the Last Planner® System (LPS) – a well-known lean management tool – and its advantages. For the StOff project, the Inros Lackner team planned these workshops and carried them out on its own initiative. Away from the day-to-day business, the events took place in a Hafven Event Spaces meeting room in Hanover. Here, the project’s challenges and problems were analysed as a group, before going on to discuss process-optimising lean methods. In each of the Villego® simulations, signifi cantly better results were achieved using LPS. With an approach like this, the team learns about LPS in a playful way. It also promotes team building and creativity, helping the team to manage any complex situations that will arise. A rethink is initiated and shared visions are developed.
Step 2 Digital analysis of the whole process, and planning of each of the first project phases: Another milestone for the successful commencement of the project was the beginning in early 2021 of the overall process analysis and of the planning for the first individual phases of the project. In this process, all those involved agree on the goal to be achieved in the next part of the project, and plan the individual work packages backwards from this point until they reach the starting point. The planning is done together on a socalled planning wall (e.g. a whiteboard). Each trade or party receives sticky notes (Post-its) of a certain colour, on which the individual work steps, along with the required preceding steps and the subsequent steps, are written. Each Post-it represents a work package and is defined on a weekly basis. The agreement of the work package among all those present strengthens their sense of solidarity, while the act of placing their Post-its on the board by those involved in the project promotes their sense of personal responsibility. The colours of the Post-its show clearly who is responsible for each work package, when it arises, and which interfaces and dependencies have to be taken into account. In the lean management approach to planning the programme of works involving the seven train stations in Braunschweig, great emphasis was placed on the value of personal meetings, especially in relation to such critical steps as the overall process analysis and the planning of each individual project phase. Due to the applicable coronavirus rules at the time, physical meetings were not possible so a postponement was considered. However, the delay that would result to the project could not be contemplated, so alternatives were evaluated. In consultation with the project management of DB S&S, a solution using Mural software – a digital whiteboard – was chosen. This solution enabled the participants to work together seamlessly, collaboratively and simultaneously. In three days, project schedules were created for the seven stations, based on the combined inputs of all those involved.
The results were then presented and coordinated in Refinemy Site (Bosch software) and an IL deadline dashboard. These are the basis for the weekly lean planning meetings and, in keeping with the lean principles, they visually present the overall progress of the project. Thanks to the greater depth to which the participants go in this planning exercise, and their discussion of the issues as a team, a robust and efficient schedule can be worked out on which all project participants can agree. Dependencies, parallel measures and points of weakness in the project can be identified and taken into account at an early stage.