Signalling Solutions
Moving your rail projects forward When rail operators need a specialist to handle surge capacity scenarios, the first organisation to be engaged is often project management leader Systematiq. As the country experiences extended periods of disruption and lockdowns, with COVID directly impacting on rail project resources and supply chains, it is important to look for flexible and agile solutions to keep moving forward. A recent Australasian Railway Authority survey showed that a total of 91 per cent of respondents were concerned about the impact of COVID on their business. Maintaining supply chains remained a critical issue for the survey respondents, with 68 per cent reporting international supply chain issues had impacted production, delivery or service offerings. In total, 86 per cent of respondents reported supply chain disruptions as a result of COVID. However, the industry is poised to experience a strong bounce back in the latter part of 2021 and early 2022. The survey also indicated that the rail industry was optimistic that the recovery would be fast once the full impact of the pandemic was over. Having access to surge capacity for resourcing, especially in high-skilled capabilities such as systems engineering and safety assurance, is vital as the industry experiences ongoing uncertainty and disruption to project delivery and workforces. The ability to mobilise teams remotely is also hugely important in today’s current working environment, where skills shortages are common in different locations but on similar projects. That’s where consulting firms such as Systematiq come in.
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EXPERTS IN SURGE CAPACITY Systematiq’s team consists of experts in rail consulting, safety assurance and project management. No matter what stage a project is in, be it initial planning or the various later stages of delivery, they are highly qualified to add value and keep the program moving forward. According to Systematiq director Richard De Nardi, the company’s experience in systems engineering and developing operating frameworks for the rail industry not only assists with identification of requirements, but also enables bespoke solutions to be developed to meet clients’ needs. “We respond to our clients’ requirements with a flexible and pragmatic approach, and offer engineering contractors from entry level through to experienced practitioners when required,” he said. The requirement for surge support essentially refers to an increase in tasks that is unexpected and often unplanned for, resulting in the capacity needed to tackle emergent demands. “Using surge capacity in rail engineering projects is vital, and particularly as we experience ongoing uncertainty and disruption to project delivery and workforces during the COVID crisis,” Richard said. “In order to de-risk project delivery and mitigate cost blow-outs, it is important to tap into services when needed, to fulfil vital documentation and engineering compliance
processes as they are required in order to keep projects moving forward.” Richard said it was often the important details that may be overlooked in project planning stages, and this is where Systematiq is employed to supplement the project team. “For example, I worked on a project with two engineers, a project manager, and strong project support, but they didn’t have anyone specifically for system safety assurance, which included the railway signaling aspect,” he said. “It simply exceeded their capacity, so we were brought in to assist. We quickly integrated with their team to develop the products necessary to progress through the change control board.” The value of work undertaken by Systematiq has been commended by several of its clients, including Metro Trains Melbourne project manager San Markas.
Systematiq is the specialist in surge capacity.
