FIRST ENGINEERING
First Engineering - BUILDING CHANGE CAPACITY & CAPABILITY
Client Requirements
First Engineering, part of the Babcock Engineering group, provides a complete range of rail infrastructure services and is one of the largest firms in the UK operating in its market sector.
Their engineering heritage originates from British Rail’s infrastructure service units, which delivered the majority of works to the rail network prior to privatisation in 1996. Since then First Engineering have built on this technical heritage and forged ahead to lead the field in innovation and industry best practice.
They are committed to providing customers with a high quality integrated infrastructure design, renewal and maintenance service at the most cost-effective price – with safety as the paramount objective – and their ability to integrate the full range of diverse disciplines and services involved enables them to deliver a consistently high level of performance.
The business continually challenges itself to design new and innovative ways to improve delivery, investing in the latest plant, equipment and technology, as well as the right people, with the aim supplying the best possible service.
First Engineering are currently tackling a very challenging change agenda. This transformational change programme over the last 3 years has included strategic repositioning driven by a new leadership team, two major re-organisations, growth through diversification in service and geographic terms, cultural change, improved HS&E standards and a £3.5m company wide ERP systems implementation to support a fundamental redesign of their core business processes.
Following the appointment of a new CEO in 2003, there has been a significant restructuring of the senior management team to re-energize and re-direct the company to help realise the potential synergies available as part of the Babcock Group in a dynamic market.
Our Contribution
First Engineering have partnered with Taylor Clarke Partnership to prepare senior and middle managers for the significant challenges ahead in the context of their Vision to double their turnover within 3 years, through a developing series of integrated interventions linked to performance improvement, building change capacity and cultural change including:-
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Board Level and first line management Teambuilding for their top 30 executives
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Supporting the development and communication of new Core values and supporting behavioural frameworks
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1:1 Coaching with Board and 1st line senior managers
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Core management skills training for 1st Line Managers
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Introduction of a robust, process and tools based Change Management Methodology, Tool Kit and Skill set to support the implementation of a £3.5m ERP investment, including –
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Establishing the Business Vision
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Designing and skilling up a 60 strong organisation wide Sponsor and Change Agent Network through knowledge transfer workshops, 1:1 coaching and process facilitation of project planning workshops
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Assessing Change Impact and Readiness and monitoring commitment and resistance levels
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Development of a leadership and management tool kit to support the development of change capability and capacity
The Impact
Our partnership with First Engineering continues to evolve and expand with standards of leadership, teamworking and change management significantly improved to enhance engagement, productivity and contribution at all levels.
Our contribution to helping people manage their transition and embrace the opportunities in change has been widely recognised across the business.
Phase 1 of the ERP system has been successfully implemented on time and within budget with real tangible benefits impacting key result areas.
We are continuing to work with the senior management team on their change leadership capability and are running a series of teambuilding events for their key contract and business improvement project teams following a second major re-organisation to enhance collaboration and inter dependency and help the forming of high performance teams
The immediate impact of employing this change framework has led to our approach being considered by both Babcock and the Software Supplier as the basis of a common approach for other similar system implementation projects and clients.
