Woodlands

BLOCK PLANNING MADE THE DIFFERENCE


COUNTRY:7 Woodlands Sites across Canada and the United States

PRIORITY OBJECTIVES:

To improve the overall effectiveness of operations across each different work site. This would be accomplished by implementing a uniform Management Operating System and by providing training and coaching to key personnel to continually improve their processes. It was critical that all improvements be sustainable.

PVA’S RESPONSE:

Their existing planning process was reviewed, including the development of work standards across their entire operation. Management Operating System elements were enhanced with particular attention on planning, communication, in-the-field follow-up and reporting mechanisms. ‘On the job’ training and coaching was provided to the Management Team to create a more proactive work environment. Some of the specific actions that contributed to the results were:

• Modifying the roles and responsibilities at all Management levels to increase their time spent in the field
• Improving the overall planning process to minimize schedule changes and lost time
• Training the Foremen to identify, root cause and eliminate controllable variances throughout their work day
• Working with the Contractors to improve their core processes and to increase their effectiveness

Across all sites, Coordinators were trained to support the changes and to perpetuate the team’s results.

PROJECT RESULTS:

Some of the results that our client achieved were:

• Met and exceeded the productivity improvement targets across their operations
• Improvements to the attainment to their plan (% block planned )
• Improved coordination and cooperation between resources and Contractors
• Increased levels of active supervision

In addition, all changes were tied into the client’s existing Corporate Reporting System. The system could now be used to follow-up on work completion on a shorter interval basis.

PERPETUATION OF RESULTS:

An additional project was undertaken to continue their training and development of their key people across different work sites. PVA has completed their four system audits at each site and ownership has been successfully transferred to our client. They have some of their own employees trained as Continuous Improvement Coordinators to conduct regular system audits and to analyze and action all audit results. The sharing and presentation of their audit results will continue to provide the feedback required to sustain the behavioral changes and the performance results. PVA continues to provide on-going support as required.