Supporting transformations of operational excellence in transverse

How, in an organization as complex as the SNCF, to achieve customer-oriented objectives ? By conducting cross-functional workshops, mapping and representing operating modes, with a tool such as VSM, Value Stream Mapping. The SNCF is clearly autonomous to carry out this work; however the "weight", the habits, of an organization cut into silos - like many large French and international companies - makes this exercise difficult, and unfortunately not really sustainable.

How can we improve the availability of trains in stations, in conjunction with the maintenance technicentres ? Operational excellence is being implemented very well on both sides, with control panels and projects. The need to implement it transversally, with all functions involved, in workshop mode, is similar.

The challenge is to maintain these activities over the long term and to manage them from a cross-functional perspective and from the customer's point of view as indicators, which are as important as safety, availability and, of course, the health crisis and hygiene. 

Strengthening the sense of operational management

The operational departments, like those in many companies, are undergoing strong constraints, which are becoming increasingly tough. The decrease of trade, the impact of strikes and additional health costs... are leading the SNCF to reduce costs and improve productivity to the tune of several billion euros. In order to contribute to this, the implementation of an appropriate approach by operational staff to help them operate more efficiently is essential, rather than being subjected to too many external constraints.

The implementation of operational excellence, with approaches such as lean, six sigma, has been reinforced, enriched and even complemented by innovation approaches such as design thinking and participative innovation. These two approaches are, like the metaphor of the left and right hemispheres of our brain, two aspects of approaches to the evolution of a team and an organization. By using complementary approaches, the logic and the intuition, the structure and the open-mindedness, the analysis of facts, the past and the impregnation of new uses.

Linking HR, innovation and operations ?

The general secretariat of the Network department, in charge of HR for the whole group, was under great pressure, like many HR departments today due to the health crisis. Applying these principles of transformation to himself, he wondered how to apply them to his daily routines, or rather team rituals. Once more anchored in these regular points, it is then easier, individually and collectively, to deploy it in other points, with other teams, and gradually make it a standard. The key has been to integrate and “combine” HR and "psychologizing" approaches with the above-mentioned methodological approaches.

Find then the testimony of Bénédicte Tilloy, General Secretary: on this experience, and above all let's look at how we can :

- reconcile operational excellence and design thinking, analysis and innovation

- and, even more so, make them move from "workshop" modes, one-off, too often non-perennial, into recurring dynamics - more frequent, less long.

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