Current Industry Performance and Management Techniques
Introduction
An organization’s performance depends on the strategies employed by its management team. Different managers have various techniques in leading their companies to success, which forms the basis of project management. Project management entails the process of incorporating knowledge and skills to promote the delivery of products or services in an organization (Mir and Pinnington, 2014). However, the process of improving the project could be faced with the problem of safety precautions as the organisation is entitled to protect the welfare of the employees and the public. Therefore, an organisation should have specified procedures that promote the health and safety of their workers. Additionally, an organisation such as a rail company should also have strategies for evaluating and protecting their assets and resources (Wilson et al., 2007). The company should as well incorporate techniques that promote employee performance through motivation and training. Therefore, this paper focuses on the need for a railway organisation to improve the overall performance and promote the use of technology by considering various industry performance and management techniques.
Project Management
Project management is the application of distinctive techniques that drives a company to success. A project manager is entitled to incorporate skills and techniques that would see the development of the organization (Larson and Gray, 2011). For instance, a railway company is obliged to offering transport services of people and cargo. However, the transportation services are only successful with the management of trains, tracks, bridges, electric power systems, the earthwork, rail lines, drainage system, telecommunication, fixed plants and premises, environment, and the data management system. Therefore, a manager in a railway industry has various roles in an organisation including the initiation of projects, the planning session, executing the plans, monitoring and controlling the project, and closing the deals in a project (Mir and Pinnington, 2014). Furthermore, a railway industry project manager starts with the integration of the project with understanding what it takes to succeed in the organisation. For instance, the manager is entitled to incorporate governing techniques such as skills and employee engagement in an effort of delivering the success of the railway industry.
Any railway organisation is focused on delivering transportation services which are termed as the cheapest and affordable form of a transport system in the economy (Dodgson et al., 2015). Additionally, the project manager has the role of analysing the scope of procedures that are viable for the development of the railway industry. For example, the railway organisation focuses on the development of infrastructure and investment that would benefit the entire railway industry. The railway project management also establishes the time and cost for the development of the organisation. Railway industry is entitled to generate revenues just like any other organisation. Therefore, the project manager should have a detailed analysis of resources that should be invested in the company to see the profit maximisation. Furthermore, the railway industry should incorporate knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques that are aimed at improvising the project requirements (Dodgson et al., 2015). For example, the railway industry project manager has the mandate to improve the quality of services offered to their customers.
With a good project management, customers get a maximum level of satisfaction whereas the organization benefits from maximisation of profits. As such, the project manager should employ knowledge and skills by employing a reliable and experienced team of Human Resource. Shi et al., (2014), claims that a HR team that has what it takes to develop an organisation would ensure minimal errors and improve the overall performance of the railway organisation. Furthermore, communication system should also be important to the project. For instance, the manager should ensure that the company has an established and properly working communication system to ensure an error-free communication platform. Similarly, the communication system helps in handling the possible errors that would erupt at the course of delivering services to the customers (Shi et al., 2014). Risk management should as well be the part of planning in an organisation. Risk assessment and the installation of techniques that helps in avoiding the problems that might help face the organisation in service delivery (Larson and Gray, 2011). Therefore, the organisation would succeed by including the overall team which such as the stakeholders and the employees. Stakeholders play an important role in executing or authorising the proposed decisions in an organization; hence, improving the overall railway industry with the help of the project managers.
Health and Safety in Rail Industry
The growth of railway industry through the development of technology and infrastructure has called to the improvement of health and safety techniques. The railway industry should have a platform that should handle any safety cases with the growth of some passengers and freight volumes in the industry. Therefore, the project manager and the entire railway industry should come up with a long-lasting strategy that would cater for any unforeseeable danger (Badri, Gbodossou, and Nadeau, 2012). For instance, trains should be installed with first aid kits in case of any emergency. Similarly, the railway lines could be installed with nearby emergency hospitals in case of any accident.
The health and safety programs in the railway industry may include the creation of a collaborative framework that specialises in the driving of safety activities. The framework would incorporate the group of specialists in health hazards and initiate the activities that help whenever a need arises (Kriaa et al., 2015). Additionally, the health and safety programs should review and update the terms of developing the safety techniques. A railway industry should also have understandable risk assessment procedures that can be shared within the group. Furthermore, the health and safety program should create awareness to the customers and workers of the railway organisation in making healthy decisions (Kriaa et al., 2015). Additionally, the project manager should as well ensure the tracking of activities within the daily operations of the railway organisation in an effort of reporting any arising accident. The program would help minimise the chances of encountering accidents or safety breach. Furthermore, the rail industry should have a developed technology model that could help in identifying any risk associated with the railway technology (Kriaa et al., 2015).
Moreover, the project manager in the railway industry is required to have an installed Safety Management System (SMS) that helps in efficiently implementing the safety and health precautions (Biddison et al., 2016). For instance, the program is capable of tracking the development of safety procedures and any possible threat that may occur in the course of delivering services to the customers. Similarly, according to Biddison et al., (2016), the SMS program helps in the modernization of safety project as seen in the cooperation guide. The program as well improves the management of shared risks through the use of Industrial Shared Risk Database (ISRD). Furthermore, Biddison et al., (2016) claims that the rail industry and the use of SMS program would have a group of competent staff that specialises in the investigation of accidents and proposing actions that could reduce cases of accidents as a way of preventing risks to the customers. The train specialists (staff) are protected by the SMS program through the road driving risks which are seen in management strategies imposed by the program.
Additionally, the safety program includes the strategies that help in analysing the risks associated with the trains (Gander et al., 2011). For example, the train system has laid down procedures for handling allergic passengers who might be affected by the transportation. Similarly, the strategy would include the prevention of emission of carbon that would affect the environment (Gander et al., 2011). Therefore, the health and safety program is installed by the project management to ensure a flow of operations with minimal risks towards their customers and the environment.
Asset Stewardship
Companies have different procedures in planning and management of assets. However, the railway industry has a large role in managing their assets because of the need for longevity and duration as well as the requirement of managing a lot of assets in the railway industry (McCattney and Stittle, 2006). For instance, a railway line needs to be stable and durable with various instances of checking. Therefore, a railway industry has a strategic plan in managing their assets and resources for a better provision of services (McCattney and Stittle, 2006). For instance, the company through a qualified team of project management has specific policies and processes that help in maintaining and protecting their resources. The resources in a rail industry may include the railway lines, trains, office premises, machinery, train stations, and the loading/offloading cargo machines (McCattney and Stittle, 2006). Therefore, the organisation should incorporate techniques and strategies that would ensure the protection of the infrastructure and the assets.
The management of assets in a rail industry would also incorporate the development and advancement of technological infrastructure such as the inclusion of advanced communication system. For example, the policies in the asset management such as the property licensing speculate the need for maintenance, renewal, replacement, enhancement, and development of the assets to suit the safety precautions (McCartney and Stittle, 2015). Similarly, the license holder should comply with the changing rules of the asset management policies when a need arises. Furthermore, the organisation should maintain a readable record of information concerning the assets and resources as a way of identifying the valuation of the organization (Turner et al., 2016).
According to Turner et al., (2016), asset management and stewardship also entail the process of developing and advancing the available resources. However, the process would require a detailed analysis of the technology development that would benefit the company. Therefore, the railway industry has initiated the program of embracing the technology advancement in delivering of transport services to the customers. For example, the railway industry is focusing on strategic technology programs that would shape its future. Some of the technology trends include the use of sensors, Big Data analytics, cloud computing, and other technical strategies that help in sharing information within the rail industry (Turner et al., 2016).
Additionally, technology has helped in introducing the high-Speed trains. The development of super-speed trains would help in promoting business and enhance timely-based interaction because most customers would get to their destinations on time. Furthermore, the rail industry has utilised technological advancement in enhancing the movement of the growing number of passengers (Turner et al., 2016). The advancement would ensure that passengers have a smooth movement in, out, and through the train stations known as the Ergonomic station design. Therefore, the technology development would ensure the profit maximisation in the rail industry and customer satisfaction.
Performance Management
An organisation through the project manager helps in promoting the performance by incorporating strategies aimed at creating a work environment. The creation of a working environment enables the management to help the employees to work at their best hence; improving the performance of the entire organisation (Arjalies and Mundy, 2013). A manager with the aim of promoting the performance of an organisation should encourage the interaction and association with the employees.
Performance management comprises of techniques that would help in incorporating every employee and role player in an organisation. Therefore, the railway organisation management should develop clear descriptions of the jobs available to emphasise on the roles of every employee. Similarly, the organisation could improve their performance through the recruitment of experienced and qualified employees (Ahren and Parida, 2009). Furthermore, the recruitment is made successful through interviews and assessments. The management could as well analyse their employees’ contributions through meetings to understand the nature of the employees in the form of strengths, weaknesses, abilities, and skills. Additionally, the rail industry organisation management ensures an effective orientation to promote the performance of the new employees (Ahren and Parida, 2009).
Similarly, the management should provide training, education, coaching, and have quarterly assessments of employees’ performance (Malthouse et al., 2013). The assessment would encourage the development of performance as the new and existing employees would find the need for improvement. Furthermore, good remuneration and compensation strategies help in encouraging the performance of the employee and the entire organization (Reinatz et al., 2004). Therefore, the railway organisation should ensure that every employee receives equitable and sensible salary and benefits according to their work. An effective performance management of a railway organisation would start by planning, monitoring, and the evaluation of their activities to help in achieving their goals and objectives (Malthouse et al., 2013).
Conclusion
Railway organisations have improved with the development of technology and communication system. Technology has helped in improving the overall performance of an organisation by incorporating the employee performance assessment. However, companies such as railway industry should have developed strategies that would ensure the protection of the entire employees. The rail industry has the mandate to create workforce safety and workforce health and wellbeing programs that ensure the prevention of disasters. Furthermore, the rail industry and engineering organisations utilise the presence of job descriptions as well as recruiting qualified employees to develop a strategy for the performance improvement. Additionally, the rail industry has benefited from the application of system engineering towards the controlling of train operations. The current technology development invested in the rail industry has seen the profit maximisation within various railway firms. However, the rail engineering industry should maximise the use of technology development to overcome the ongoing rising number of customers and experience the consumer satisfaction. Therefore, the suggested strategies would see the development of the railway industry and in turn, any organization venturing in this industry.
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