By De Wet Joubert, Operations and Strategic Projects Director, RS South Africa
As rail companies seek to enhance cost efficiencies, implementing a robust strategy for both planned and unplanned maintenance is crucial to improving the bottom line. This is especially important in South Africa, where the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has indicated that the full recovery of national commuter rail services is a top priority.
The White Paper on National Rail Policy, an overarching framework to guide the vision for the future of the railway industry in South Africa, was approved in 2022. As an affordable, competitive, effective, integrated, reliable, safe, sustainable, and valued transport mode, rail is expected to provide the backbone of South Africa’s freight logistics and passenger
mobility systems by 2050.
This will have a major impact on economic growth and social
Development. However, a key focus to achieve this vision is to ensure adequate spend on Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO). MRO has two distinct categories, namely planned maintenance and unplanned maintenance.
Planned maintenance
When it comes to planned maintenance, the secret is in the quality of the planning. A clear maintenance schedule should be established well in advance, allowing downtime to be scheduled in a way that minimises inconvenience for passengers. This foresight enables engineers and procurement teams to order necessary parts from trusted suppliers ahead of time, securing the best prices and the required product quality.
Focusing solely on price when purchasing parts for planned maintenance can be a false economy. Constant pressure to achieve greater productivity, can sometimes foster short-term thinking. Spending excessive time trying to save a few rands by purchasing from non-approved suppliers often overlooks the longer-term costs. The extra time spent on finding lower prices and navigating slower approval processes can ultimately cost the business more.
It is much more effective to have a small number of approved suppliers that consolidate a selection of products, ideally utilising an eProcurement system to expedite the purchasing process. This approach ensures engineers receive the products they need promptly, reduces time spent on procurement, and allows the procurement department to track purchases efficiently.
Prioritising unplanned maintenance
Unplanned maintenance demands a different approach, where the focus shifts to stock availability and rapid delivery to mitigate potential fines for equipment downtime. With unplanned maintenance, it is vital to have suppliers that offer a wide range of stock and can deliver quickly. At RS, we maintain a comprehensive stock range and work closely with our suppliers and customers to ensure critical parts are delivered as swiftly as possible.
Many companies stockpile parts internally for self-distribution. While holding critical parts on hand is sometimes necessary, large suppliers like RS can often provide next-day delivery, outpacing internal distribution. This practice not only accelerates the availability of parts but also reduces the costs associated with storing unused inventory.
Strategic partnerships for operational excellence
By partnering with reliable suppliers and leveraging efficient procurement processes, rail companies can significantly reduce downtime and operational costs. The strategic balance between planned and unplanned maintenance, supported by a robust supply chain, is essential for sustaining efficiency and service quality in the rail industry.
RS has the expertise and access to the latest products and premium brands to allow for proactive maintenance strategies that add to socioeconomic development and assist to realise the government’s long-term vision for the rail industry. A strategic supplier partnership with RS allows rail companies to avoid disruptions, enhance operational efficiency, and ultimately boost profitability.
For more information about RS South Africa’s initiatives and product range, visit their website and follow them on LinkedIn for regular updates on their impactful work.
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RS Group
RS Group plc is a leading global omni-channel industrial product and service solutions provider to customers who are involved in designing, building and maintaining industrial equipment and operations, safely and sustainably. We stock more than 700,000 industrial and electronic products, sourced from over 2,500 leading suppliers, and provide a wide range of product and service solutions to over 1.2 million customers. With operations in 31 countries, we trade through multiple channels and ship over 60,000 parcels a day.
We support customers across the product life cycle, whether via innovation and technical support at the design phase, improving time to market and productivity at the build phase, or reducing purchasing costs and optimising inventory in the maintenance phase. We offer our customers tailored product and service propositions that are essential for the successful operation of their businesses and help them save time and money.
RS Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange with stock ticker RS1 and in the year ended 31 March 2022 reported revenue of £2,554 million.
PR Contact Person – RS South Africa:
Princess Tlou
Communications & Content Specialist
RS South Africa
+27 11 691 9366
Media Contact Person – NGAGE:
Thobile Ndlovu
PR Account Executive
+27 11 867 7763
Further information is available via these links:
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSOnlineSA
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rs-south-africa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rssouthafrica
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De Wet Joubert, Operations and Strategic Director, RS South Africa - TL_SA’s rail industry requires a strategic focus on MRO for growth_approved
TL_SA’s rail industry requires a strategic focus on MRO for growth_approved
