Andy Bourne

London Underground LimitedSystems Engineering Forum: 

London Underground Limited Systems Engineering Forum A Vehicle For Shared Learning In A Distributed Organisation ANDREW BOURNE Systems Integration Engineer, Chief Engineer’s Group, LUL

Systems Engineering Forum: 

Systems Engineering Forum Organisational Context Systems Engineering Cabability Aims Of The SE Forum Progress To Date The Future Contents

Organisational Context : 

Organisational Context 1994 Refocus of Engineering - greater Project Team focus - move from discipline based organisation to systems based (trains, stations, infrastructure) - flatter organisational structure History

Organisational Context: 

Organisational Context Unintentional downside was: - islands of systems engineering capability mostly within major project teams - impact on morale (isolation) and ability to learn from each other - difficulty in retaining lessons learned on one project within organisation Issues

Systems Engineering Capability: 

Systems Engineering Capability C D E Organisation Project A Project B External Environment Islands

Systems Engineering Capability: 

Systems Engineering Capability Expertise resides with individuals - if they leave the knowledge goes with them. Contact with the external environment is also mainly at the individual level. The ‘repeatability’ of good practice is low. Impact

Aims Of The SE Forum: 

Aims Of The SE Forum Network existing Systems Engineers Facilitate sharing of best practice with LUL A Forum to discuss real issues An ‘expert body’ to validate approaches Aims

Aims Of The SE Forum : 

Aims Of The SE Forum C D E Organisation Project A Project B External Environment SE Forum Context

Slide9: 

Aims Of The SE Forum C D E Organisation Project A Project B External Environment SE Forum Results 1

Slide10: 

Aims Of The SE Forum C D E Organisation Project A Project B External Environment SE Forum Results 2

Progress To Date: 

Progress To Date Aims being met Additionally ..... a ‘place’ to bring other interested parties a ‘place’ to invite external expertise As nodes added to network, growth accelerates and with it a positive climate for SE. Other Benefits

Progress To Date: 

Progress To Date C D E Organisation Project A Project B External Environment SE Forum Org X Org Y F G Other Benefits

Progress To Date: 

Progress To Date SE Forum part of a multi-thread strategy within Chief Engineers Group. - Standards, Practice Guides - STEFFIE (EPSRC) Other Strategic Threads

Progress To Date: 

Progress To Date C D E Organisation Project A Project B External Environment SE Forum Org X Org Y F G CEG Stds. STEFFIE Academia Industry EPSRC Other Threads

Progress To Date: 

Progress To Date A basis for shared learning A key to improving organisational SE capability A gateway to the external environment Low cost Organic, flexible ‘Loosely coupled organic network’ from “Creative Organization Theory” Gareth Morgan, Sage Publications, California 1989 ‘Networked Organization’ from “Creating Tomorrow’s Organization David Birchall/Laurence Lyons, FT Pitman, London 1995 Reproducable Summary

The Future: 

The Future LUL reorganising into four companies in readiness for a Public Private Partnership arrangement (New London Underground Operating company and three Infrastructure companies - InfraCos) SE Forum has the flexibility to adapt and prvide a non-contractual forum to continue to improve capability in partnership. Possibility of other links (e.g. INCOSE) PPP

Slide17: 

SE Forum in the PPP Project A Project B External Environment SE Forum INCOSE Org Y Operating Co. Stds. STEFFIE Academia Industry EPSRC G Project A D C E F InfraCo 1 InfraCo 2 InfraCo 3

Summary: 

Summary The SE Forum model provides a number of benefits to a distributed organisation. It is: A basis for shared learning A key to improving organisational SE capability A gateway to the external environment Simple, low cost Organic, flexible (hence adaptable to future org.) Reproducable