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Moving freight and passengers across the country, the Indian Railways is one of the largest organisations in the world, but it suffers from a myriad of ailments that keep dragging its performance down. A former Railway Board member provides some insight into the difficulty of effecting a quick turnaround in an analytical opinion 'A Kaizen approach to Railway reforms', detailing a slew of crucial measures:
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1. A behemoth like the Indian Railways can't be overhauled overnight, and the efforts to reform the country's biggest employer would bear fruits with persistence only, the former Railway Board member said.
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2. "Indian Railways, which employs over 14 lakh, is a giant organization, and its revival is not possible overnight. The public sector undertaking (PSU) can't reach the standards of rail technology in terms of speed, safety and passenger comfort, akin to Japan, China or the USA, in a short span of time," the opinion read.
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3. Citing the adage "Rome was not built in a day", the writer's views sought to convey that Big Bang reforms in Indian Railways is neither possible nor desirable. The approach that is perceived to be ideal is Kaizen, a Japanese style of working adopted in offices and work environments, which means 'continuous improvement'.
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4. Through Kaizen, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has embarked on a well-thought growth path, with both short-term and long-term measures to bring about a significant turnaround in the Railways' functioning, the report said.
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5. The report lauds the ease of booking or cancelling tickets through online mode or digital media, among other cost-effective initiatives such as mechanised laundries that are pushing reforms in Indian Railways.
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