C2U once again hit the mark with the Knowledge Forum seminar in June. Airport director Øyvind Hasaas and Lean project manager Hans Marius Vestheim spoke about projects and initiatives at OSL that will make Norway’s main airport a leader in its class in Europe.

Lean methodology is central to the improvement work at OSL, where the main goals are, among other things, to achieve customer satisfaction at the top in Europe and punctuality at the top of its class. This is to be achieved at a time when the number of travelers is increasing sharply and in the busiest periods is 5,000 per hour.

– It is the ultimate test that all systems work, said Hasaas.

The punctuality project The airport is well underway
g with a comprehensive improvement project, Punctuality Project, where the goal is to reduce the number of minutes delay travelers experience. In 2018, 23,000 travelers experienced delays of more than 15 minutes. The total number of minutes delay was 1 million. In 2018, the number was still rising, but after half a year in the project, the plan is for a 65,000 minute reduction.

– Turnaround is the time it takes from the plane is docked at the street until it is rolled off the street and is ready for a new departure. Time spent on this operation is of great importance for precision at the airport, therefore the project has a lot of attention, Vestheim said.

The project was based on a large amount of data collected from operations in addition to extensive interview rounds with employees. This led to a list of 120 ideas for action. Sub-projects that have been launched and that have contributed to the preliminary improvement, is the sub-project «Bussing», which focuses on shortening the time for each bus transport to aircraft. The payout is 2 – 4 minutes per bus trip, which gives several thousand minutes of savings per year. In another sub-project, artificial intelligence is tested in the docking process. Using cameras and transmission technology, the project collects data from the docking process that has not previously been available. The data capture is used to optimize sub-processes and has so far shown promising results.

– The earlier we receive data, the earlier we can update the plans for flights. This will increase punctuality. After extensive testing, the system will be put into operation during the autumn of 2019 for a 12-month trial period: If it proves to be stably efficient, it will be relevant to spread it, both to all streets near Oslo and to other airports, Vestheim said.

”Systematic Maintenance Engages”

There is no conflict between Lean and TPM (Total Productive Maintenance). The two work excellently together, said C2U’s TPM expert, Rolf Ohlsson when he informed about the subject. Since a successful Lean practice requires good and reliable processes, TPM can be seen as subordinate to Lean. The discipline is based on four unique pillars:

• New acquisition processes

• Specialized maintenance

• Production maintenance

• Quality maintenance

– It is not possible to conduct systematic maintenance work in all areas at the same time. The business needs a maintenance strategy. In our strategy model for maintenance, we have included key basic principles on which we build the work of customers, said Ohlsson and continued:

– One mistake many people make is not doing enough thorough work from the start. Each machine’s equipment must have its identity. It should be easy to keep track of parts and equipment when the machine is to be repaired. In addition, the machine must be described: age, condition and so on. Each maintenance area is broken down to the smallest detail.

Do you want to know more about systematic maintenance and how you can improve your maintenance work? Contact Rolf Ohlsson.

Do not digitize bad processes

If you expect everyone to do the same as before, it is not difficult to introduce new technology. But who has such a business case? Jostein Moe opened with a question in the introduction to the topic Lean and new technology.

– The business should, as a minimum, achieve some decisions faster, some processes better. A new IT system cannot be an end in itself. Digitization is a piece in taking out the potential for improvement. It also requires a cultural change where routines, procedures and role descriptions must be reconsidered.

– Wait to plan the technology in detail until you have made thorough preparations in affected areas of the organization and carried out necessary improvement work, Moe urged.

”Digital grip for Norwegian value creation”

Digitization is about taking advantage of the opportunities digital technologies offer to improve, innovate and create something new. Therefore, digitalisation is not just about technology, but just as much about the will and ability to change.

Executive Vice President Morten Dalsmo in Sintef Digital leads the steering group in Digital 21, the project that was established by the Solberg government in 2017. The project will until 2021 provide advice and recommendations for how Norwegian companies can use research, technology and expertise in digitization work.

At the C2U Knowledge Forum, he participates in knowledge gained in the project so far. As Minister of Trade and Industry Monica Mæland pointed out when establishing Digital 21: The challenge lies in both the business community’s ability to adopt new technology and the ability to develop new knowledge.

– When players from many different industries meet each other to develop a strategy like this, a lot of expertise is gathered and a lot of energy is created. We must digitize securely, but we cannot stop the digitization process, Dalsmo said.

A survey among companies in Norway has shown that as many as 40 per cent of the companies have not completed any form of safety training. Digital 21 advocates prioritizing cyber security as a field. The goal is not digitization per se, but to facilitate the creation of new values ​​using data.

– We must establish a national strategy for digitization. Digital 21 draws up a strategy in five points, where a common knowledge and technology base, competence and cyber security are central, he said.

A new digital infrastructure that includes the 5g network and a well-established interaction between the public and the business community are key factors for success. If we look outside Norway’s borders, we see, for example, a company like Huawei. With their 80,000 people connected to research, they are at the forefront of developing new technology.

– We can not be the best in everything, but we are on our way, Dalsmo pointed out. After Digital 21 presented its recommendation in August 2018. The government will follow up on the recommendations, including measures such as establishing a digitization directorate and merging Difi and Altinn, Dalsmo said.