West Coast South Route Balanced Scorecard

Fishbone has delivered several projects for Network Rail centred around major configuration change points and continued operational readiness. Network Rail invited Fishbone to create a balanced scorecard which would provide a holistic overview of the many complex changes occurring on the West Coast South (WCS) main line and facilitate informed decision making throughout the programme.

The balanced scorecard would provide high quality management information to the WCS leadership team specifically in terms of identifying and addressing:

• Verify Readiness for timetable changes and identify the key issues and risks affecting transportation planning
• Enable WCS Leadership team, stakeholder’s and Train Operating Companies to make informed decisions
• Provide visibility of all activities on the route and their readiness
• Manage significant change events with confidence and having evidenced facts to support the change management process
• Identify major challenges and issues that could impact major change events
• Support the identification and introduction of class leading technology and innovations

Fishbone engaged with the Route Managing Director (RMD) and key members of the SMT to define a set of Challenge Statements that would drive the development of a Balanced Scorecard in line with Network Rails’ flagship initiative “Putting Passengers First”.

Following a series of workshops with the client, Fishbone were then able to innovate an interactive Balanced Scorecard that provided the WCS RMD and the SMT with high quality, verified and validated management information on request:

• Continuous Operational Readiness
• Master Configuration and Event Plan
• Master Risk, Impacts and Opportunities Register
• Challenge Innovation Management
• 10-year Strategy Development and Implementation

Fishbone gained buy-in from all stakeholders including the WCS RMD and Senior Management Team, the TOCs, HS2 and the Industry Project Management Office (IPMO). The Balanced Scorecard has been described as the “single source of truth” by the IPMO.

As part of the assignment Fishbone also supported the RMD in defining the vision, organisation structure and technology strategy for the next 10 years through to 2030 for the route.

The Balanced Scorecard continues to be used to inform stakeholders ahead of key strategic level meetings and change events.