Transport Operators How to deal with the SMRT breakdown
After two years of relative stability, the SMRT system breaks down again. This time, the breakdown was caused by a power fault.

A friend, who was familiar with my years of managing a large company, sent this message to me "Kin Lian, SMRT needs old management like you to tidy up operations".

I asked him to "Tell Ong YK".

I want to share what I would do, if I were to be in charge of SMRT. 

I am not an electrical or mechanical engineer. So, I will not be able to personally deal with the power breakdown. 

However, I have dealt with many kinds of "unexpected problems" during the decades that I have run a large organization. I developed a system of tackling any problem in three stages through a system of escalation.

When any problem arises, the front line people is activated to deal with the problem immediately. They are empowered to respond to the problem, with the minimum of bureaucracy. Get the problem fixed immediately. Report later!

If the problem cannot be fixed within a given time frame, which depends on the kind of problem, they have to escalate the problem to the next level. In fact, if the problem cannot be fixed within (say) half an hour, it should be reported - while they continue to fix the problem. This allows the second level to be aware that they may have to come into the picture soon.

The same process applies to the second level. If they cannot fix it within a short time, they have to report it. If they still can't fix it within the next time frame, they have to escalate the issue to the third level. 

As the top person, I am notified immediate when it reaches the third level. 

In the case of the SMRT breakdown, the third level should be the head of engineering. The chief executive (and maybe the transport minister) should also be monitoring what is happening. This activated should probably occur within one hour, maybe earlier.

What can the top management, who may not be engineers, do? They can solve the non-engineering problems. They have to decide on priority. They have to activate alternative plans. They have to activate the communication.

Maybe the SMRT system is already doing what I suggested here. Maybe they are not doing it in the way that I would have done it. 

In management, effective execution is key. We can follow the management theory, but can it be executed effectively? 

Over the past decades, I have a record of effective execution to deal with many kinds of unexpected problems. The three level escalation system works well.

I would describe my approach as being "out of the box". I usually find a new way to deal with difficult problems, when the old way does not work. The new way does not come easily. It came with many years of practice. 

Transport minister and SMRT CEO. I hope that you are listening.

Agree or not?

Tan Kin Lian








 

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