BearingPoint with Network Rail

Network Rail High Speed is a wholly owned subsidiary of Network Rail and is responsible for operating, maintaining and renewing the 109km of high-speed infrastructure from St. Pancras to Eurotunnel and management of 3 high speed stations, that enables direct international (Eurostar) trains from the centre of London to European capitals as Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. As part of the process to obtain a renewed concession for the control period from 2020-2025, Network Rail High Speed is required to prove that the organisation is the right size, has the right capabilities and delivers the right performance.

BearingPoint set out a solid approach based on three key convictions:

1. Let the ‘Voice of the Customer’ determine the purpose

BearingPoint believed the clients would be in the best position to define the right performance and right capabilities. Therefore, BearingPoint held ‘Voice of the Customer interviews’ with senior managers from all main clients of Network Rail High Speed to understand their expectations, needs and view on current performance of Network Rail High Speed. This produced a long list of needs, wishes and requirements that provided surprising insights for Network Rail High Speed.

Unique in BearingPoint’s approach is to translate these into a Voice of the Customer Flow Down, a breakdown up to five levels of detail of organisational client requirements for Network Rail High Speed. BearingPoint used this tailored framework to assess the performance of the organisation. For each component, BearingPoint analysed the current performance and identified areas for improvement.

2. Using the purpose to design the optimal organisation

BearingPoint reviewed the current organisational structure and concluded that it was not optimal to cultivate the capabilities required to fulfil the client’s needs. BearingPoint agreed design principles with the client as a guidance to draw the design of a fit for purpose organisational structure.

Based on our Voice of the Customer Flow Down, design principles and experience with similar organisations, BearingPoint created a capabilities model. For each of the capabilities in this model, the organisation would require processes, skilled staff in defined roles, supported by necessary technology.

3. Weighing the current roles in the organisation

BearingPoint judged the relevance of all roles and calculated the required amount of work to define the necessary number of full-time equivalents. These analyses were crucial to validate and advise the required headcount for the organisation.

Network Rail High Speed used the full output of the engagement as the vision for their new organisation for the 2020-2025 control period. BearingPoint were able to demonstrate the monetary value of the advice with a positive ROI and measurable financial benefits. With this project, BearingPoint exceeded the customer’s expectations in terms of quality and comprehensiveness.

View the BearingPoint company profile in the MCA Members Directory.