The SIZ vision
A Station Innovation Zone is likely to continue as long as the initiative proves valuable. Therefore, key is to understand the viability of a Station Innovation Zone. Not only from the perspective of processes and structures, but also in terms of the people and effectiveness of the relationships formed. This can be challenging when there is not a clear endpoint defined and the steering group is small.
Knowing ‘why we are doing this’ is the first step in understanding how to test, review and validate the progress made to say that SIZ is achieving its goals and ambitions. Getting an understanding of the short, medium and long-term goals of the programme are a part of this. Aligning the aims of the SIZ to national and regional business plans gives senior leaders confidence in the approach and recognition of the novelty of the programme. This buy-in may be valuable too when challenges need wider support.
If it remains unclear how impactful the initiative is, it may result in a breaking down of well-intended collaboration and contracts. It is important to be able to show where impact is achieved – either within one of the trials or on a systems level and how you are making steps to achieving short, medium and long-term goals.
Recommendations:
- Define the benefits of the Station Innovation Zone, in terms of what it could achieve. This will be informed by the lead innovation focus and set innovation challenges, assessment of the station innovation context, the operational infrastructure, and available budget. This will allow to agree on the direction and the boundaries for the SIZ.
- Agree expectations: what does success look like, why are we doing this, what is in and out of scope, what are the short, medium and long-term goals?
- Balance challenge priorities and where budgets lie (for the process beyond the initial trials). Align what the success of the trials looks like with the priorities of the organisation. (The challenges set for the Bristol Temple Meads SIZ are strongly aligned to the strategic CP7 aims and objectives for the Wales and Western region.)
- Avoid misunderstanding or misperceptions of what is happening at the station (by general public, station staff and wider stakeholders).
- Set a short-term goal that can inform a set of challenges. (Our short-term goal was to ‘make the job a bit more efficient’ to ensure that passenger experience of the station improved.) The challenges can be used to identify which ‘problems’ to solve through the trialing of now solutions. Look into problems that can be tactical first steps, early quick wins, especially those that are linked to aims and objectives set out by NR strategies and priorities (e.g., Wales and Western CP7 strategy). They can drive the momentum to engage key internal and external stakeholders with the SIZ. On a practical note, set yourself a schedule for meetings and milestones for people to plan to.
- A medium-term goal is likely to focus on navigating things such as route to markets, commercialisation and procurement processes. (Our medium-term goal was ‘how to sell the best ideas for solving these problems’.) Key is to understand how your medium-term goal aligns with NR strategy and priorities to ensure buy-in increase your chances of success.
- The long-term goal captures the strategic goal of how we want stations of the future to run, influencing the aims and objectives set for stations. It is likely that achieving this vision requires behavioural, cultural and process changes. (Our vision is to create the ‘business as usual (BAU) of tomorrow’ – one in which innovation is normal practice and trialling solutions in live station environments BAU.) The tactical solutions and incremental changes of the short- and medium-term help build towards achieving the long-term vision.
- Be clear to senior leadership about what you are going to deliver and ensure that as things shift or change , they continue to be informed and consulted.
A helpful set of questions to understand and articulate why a SIZ is the right project for your station can be found on page 6 of the following Better Transport report