Optimizing Staffing Levels for Heavy Maintenance Operations
Client Context
A large metropolitan rail operator’s heavy maintenance facility in Chicago sought approval to increase staffing to support a new weekly target of 30 passenger car inspections, up from a historical average of 23. Leadership requested an independent assessment to determine the minimum staffing required and to identify operational improvement opportunities.
Key Challenges
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Uncertainty around actual labor needs for increased inspection volume.
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Inconsistent use of standard labor hours across car types and maintenance tasks.
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Lack of cleaning labor standards and unclear bad order repair projections.
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Potential overstaffing in a mixed-craft environment without efficiency validation.
Approach & Key Success Factors
EFESO conducted a detailed productivity analysis to determine optimal staffing levels:
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Standard Hour Benchmarking: Collected and compared standard labor hours across various car types; validated against foreman estimates.
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Craft-Level Workload Modeling: Calculated required labor hours by craft for maintaining 30 cars per week.
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On-site Process Observations: Assessed actual work hours and validated operational flow through time studies.
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Adjustment for Unscheduled Work: Incorporated bad order repair hours based on historical performance data.
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Staffing Optimization: Modeled FTE requirements to align workforce levels with forecasted workload.
Results
136 → 81
Recommended reduction in mixed-craft staffing
59%
FTE reduction to meet demand requirements