Benchmarking, Rightsizing , Benchmark, Yardstick

Benchmarking - The unit transportation cost in the Indian Railway has to be reduced in order to compete with the ever increasing road transport. The expenses on staff constitute 45% of the total expenditure. Therefore it is urgently necessary to reduce the expenses on staff. Bench Mark is a method to reduce the expenses on staff scientifically by rightsizing the manpower. 

CONCEPT OF BENCH MARK:

• Establishing goals based on best practices in an industry. 
• Best-in-Class performance is to be studied and implemented in all activity centers to improve productivity and quality. 
• It is the search for and implementation of best practices. 
• It is humble enough to accept that somebody else is better and it is wise enough to learn from them and then match or even surpass them. 
• It is one of the tools of TQM to facilitate continuous improvement.

STEPS IN BENCH MARK: 

• Decide what to Bench Mark. 
• Introduce - System of measurement. 
• Compare with the Best. 
• Learn from the Best. 
• Match or surpass the best.

By comparing with the Best Activity Centre, the available manpower in a particular area can be identified as LESS or EXCESS. In case of LESS strength, the manpower can be increased and in case of EXCESS strength, the posts can be surrendered. Thus bench marking offers a scientific method to increase staff productivity in which everybody wins – the Staff, Management, Indian Railways, and Nation. 

Different between Bench Mark & Yard Stick

Bench Mark:

It is a TQM Continuous learning of worker on the job Compare with the Best to Identify ways to improve Dynamic – changes with innovations Economy with increasing work load.

Yard Stick:

It is a Scientific Management Assumes standard workers with limited performance Standard time calculated by conducting time study Static – difficult to change Linear increase manpower with work load 

Benchmark serve as standards for comparing current performance levels and provide useful feedback to executives to improve their performance. They firmly establish a process of review and analysis on a consistent basis with the objective of “getting more out of less”. As the organization improves, and as technology and external environment undergoes changes, these benchmarks must continuously be reviewed, inspected and, if required, mid-course corrections applied to reflect higher levels of expectations and achievements. RB issued instructions (March 2009) regarding benchmarking analysis of man power productivity ratios of various activity centres such as loco sheds, engineering offices etc., but mechanical workshops were excluded from these benchmarking norms. Most of the workshops in IR carry out multifarious activities in addition to the main activity of POH such as refurbishment of coaches, intermediate over haul (IOH) of bogies, rehabilitation of coaches, rebuilding and heavy repair of wagons damaged in operation etc. 

In addition to this, the workshops also undertake rebuilding/production work under Rolling Stock Programme (RSP) as decided by RB.

IR needs to make a realistic requirement of staff in respect of “ministerial” and “other” categories of staff based on best practices across workshops of IR and ensure that requirement of these categories is fixed accordingly to avoid operating excess men and also adopt principles of benchmarking.

Yardstick

Diesel Loco Maintenance of Electrical department:

ALCO 4.0 (excluding AMC/ overhauling MCBG, Microprocessor, Air dryer, APU, REMMLOT Shed/ Loco cleaning etc.

HPP 3.3 (excluding AMC/ overhauling of TCC/ LCC, HVAC, APU, REMMLOT Shed/ Loco cleaning etc.)

(RBE 11/2023)

Yardsticks, including Outsourcing activities, for TRD Suburban for Electrical department: 

“In case of AC OHE infrastructure: 0.42 staff/TKM”

RBE No.145/2022

RBE No.170/2022 – Non-gazetted Signaling Staff

“4.5 Staff per 1000 transactions, across lndian Railways. ‘

RBE No.172/2022 – Stores Department