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Do you occasionally work on carpentry projects around the house? You know the drill for those "build a new deck over the weekend" projects. Conceptualize the finished product, figure out the steps to get there, gather the necessary tools and materials and proceed knowing you can get the job done. After dozens of projects over the last few decades, I know that I can do a pretty fair construction job — especially if seen in just the right light. My work holds up well to scrutiny until I compare it to the pros. Even though they use similar tools, the fit is tighter, the mitered corners are crisper and the end result is more polished. It looks and functions better, and they did it in half the time.
What does this have to do with life at a transit agency? The CTA recently implemented "bus lean operations" under the guidance of specialized consultants who are the experts in the field. These particular consultants carefully scrutinized, catalogued and analyzed long-standing maintenance procedures. Working pro bono for the CTA, they streamlined the path a bus takes from the time it comes in one end of the garage until it goes out the other. Every step of the process — as well as every step taken by maintenance and repair staff — was examined for efficiency and effectiveness. As a result of this project, which was reported in a recent Chicago Tribune story, the buses are going through much faster, with employees literally taking fewer steps to get more work accomplished. There are now more buses available for service, fewer runs are being cancelled due to lack of equipment, leading to financial savings that may delay fare hikes. According to Richard Swanson, the CTA's general manager of lean maintenance, "The consultants who have been brought in, free of charge to the CTA, have been instrumental in helping us drill down into individual maintenance steps and get the work done in less time."
Some of the changes these experts brought about seem fairly elementary, such as putting tool boxes on wheels and reducing trips to the parts window from an average of four per bus procedure to one. Even getting parts suppliers to keep parts in stock doesn't seem too complicated, that is, until you're trying to manage your other full-time jobs every day. Those major changes in procedures you would like to implement usually have to wait until tomorrow or next month, because today's demands come first. When you don't have the time, or the tools, or the vision, or the experience, it may be time to call in a consultant.
Consultants harvest best practices from the industry and bring them to the table. They test these reforms first hand on the clients that precede you, refine how they work best in varied applications and then spend the time and energy you may not have to integrate them into your operation. They take a fresh look.
What are some of the steps in successfully working with consultants? The first is aligning expectations. You need to interview your prospective partner in this undertaking at least as diligently as you would for any major hire. You know how specific the challenges of public transportation can be. Does your consultant? The consultants who did their work pro bono in Chicago are now well positioned to duplicate their transformations for pay at other agencies. They certainly have the credentials.
Other factors to consider and discuss with your prospective consultant include:
- Set goals and determine a reasonable timeframe with benchmarks.
- Know your style and how you expect a consultant to work with your staff on a daily basis. You should feel comfortable communicating with the consultant. Preliminary discussions will help you evaluate the ability to see eye-to-eye.
- Make sure your consultant is available within the projected time span. You don't want to be strung along by someone juggling several projects.
- Clarify who is paying expenses. Don't take this for granted — you'll regret it soon enough.
- Do the due diligence. Conduct a broad search for your consultant, check your candidate's background and references, and research the prevailing rate of pay.
- Formalize your agreement. Having a document that spells out details will head off disputes down the road. Your consultant likely has a standard agreement, which may serve as a fine starting point, but review the terms with legal counsel.
When you can't do everything yourself, and you're not up to date on the latest best practices, bring in the experts.
It may free up your weekends.
author: John Hollenhorst Mass Transit's Publisher