Practical Project Management Pullman Rail

We developed a 2-day course that explored a broad range of project management skills, from project planning and organisation to engaging with stakeholders and managing quality, risks and issues.

Organisation

Pullman Rail, part of the Colas Rail Group, is sited in Leckwith in Cardiff and currently employs approximately 200 staff. It serves the rail industry by providing technical expertise and workmanship. Its key operations are overhaul projects (such as refurbishment and restoration of rail passenger vehicles, bogie and wheel sets,) and maintenance work to existing train carriages.

Business issues

Pullman Rail has expanded approximately twice in size since it was established 20 years ago and is continuing to grow. The company aspires to become increasingly competitive and more proactive in its approach to winning new work. It was identified that staff needed support to help them handle this growth more effectively and to improve the overall management of their new contracts.

Training

We developed a 2-day course that explored a broad range of project management skills, from project planning and organisation to engaging with stakeholders and managing quality, risks and issues. The importance of compliance and working to health & safety regulations was a priority for Pullman Rail, and so this was embedded as a theme across the two days with their Professional Head of Safety and Compliance also presenting as part of the course.

Pullman’s own project processes and templates were cited throughout the training and examples relevant to the rail and manufacturing industries were used to illustrate project management best practice. At Pullman’s request the two training days were delivered three weeks apart, which enabled staff to test out learning theories in the workplace ahead of the second day.

Impact

All delegate attendees said that their learning needs were met through the training. As a result, Pullman Rail’s Workshop Managers and Assistant Managers are now adopting a more standardised approach to managing their projects and project teams.

Pullman has already explored conversations with us about other possible collaborations, such as student placement opportunities for the University’s engineering students and further training in continuous improvement and PRINCE2.