Transnet Port Terminals (TPT) has partnered with the University of Pretoria to launch an outcomes-based initiative that is upskilling port staff to improve operational performance in 100 days.
The Rapid 100 programme, designed by the US-based Rapid Results Institute, was being piloted at the Port of Durban and would be rolled out across all grades of employees, TPT announced in a statement this week.
The programme allows teams to set up their own goals and plan how they will achieve them.
TPT general manager of engineering, capital projects, and operations technology, Jaco van der Westhuizen, said frontline operations teams had identified the challenges directly affecting their workflow and knew how to fix them. He said the programme aimed to empower staff teams to determine outcomes, while managers supported their plans and provided the resources needed to execute a task.
The Durban Container Terminals Pier 1 and 2 have been selected as pilot sites. For the first wave of the 100 days starting this week, a combination of millwrights, operators, buyers, planners, electricians, supervisors and mechanics will drive the first seven projects. Their duties on the Rapid 100 programme are in line with their day-to-day work.
Durban-based facilitators are being trained during the first wave to facilitate the second wave of the programme when it rolls out to other terminals. The overall focus is on improving the reliability and availability of operational equipment, ensuring the availability of spares, and increasing crane moves per hour.
“We are creating internal capacity by upskilling employees and giving them ownership as people capable of finding solutions to our current challenges – and the results will bring our customers’ confidence back,” Van der Westhuizen said.
TPT and UP have signed a memorandum of understanding that aims to see the port operator increase its performance across key indicators to enhance efficiency. Progress will be reported at 30-day intervals. UP has further contracted capacity-building companies, World of Impact and Engconomics, as facilitators in this first phase of the initiative.
