30 March 2021

The strategic need for this project was driven by the Cableway’s focus on digitalisation, ISO requirements for electronic record keeping and a financial audit requirement for electronic history. The Work Manager application was implemented successfully to ensure digitalisation in order to reduce paper-based maintenance records.

Client Background

The Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company (TMACC) has been providing visitors with a world-class experience since 4 October 1929. The company operates in a National Park and on a World Heritage Site. The cableway system consists of two cabins which can each accommodate up to 65 people per trip. The floors of the cabins rotate to allow 360° views. Maintenance on the Cableway is executed to BAV Standards – the Swiss-based global authority on Cableway Systems. A strong partnership also exists with TMACC’s main Swiss-based suppliers: Garaventa AG and CWA.

Key Challenges

  • Maintenance task records were kept on paper. Filing and record-keeping was a resource drain.
  • Technical labour could not be allocated easily and consistently to specific assets for reporting and analysis.
  • Technical labour efficiency was also very difficult to track and improve with the manual system.
  • A delay in job card issuing and communication existed between the lower and top stations.
  • Secure filing of documents is expensive.
  • Job requests were either verbal or based on a spreadsheet which is dependant on access to the server, with low visibility, delayed and incomplete feedback to the requester, and limited analysis capability.
  • Breakdowns could only be reported by manual entries, with limited information available for Root Cause Analysis.

Client Quote

Pragma’s actual understanding of maintenance systems and their implementation expertise sets them apart from other CMMS suppliers.
This ensures a system and CMMS which supports maintenance instead of encumbering it and becoming a white elephant.
– Emile Streicher (Executive Manager: Technical, TMACC)

Pragma Intervention 

  • Pragma was tasked with providing and implementing a CMMS for TMACC.
  • The strategic need for this project was driven by the cableway’s focus on digitalisation, ISO requirements for electronic record-keeping and a financial audit requirement for electronic history. The Work Manager application was implemented successfully to ensure digitalisation in order to reduce paper-based maintenance records.
  • The direct and immediate requirement was a tool to manage labour efficiency especially for ad hoc work management, which was achieved with the use of the Work Manager application and the work management module in On Key Insights.
  • The most obvious benefit was an observed increase in technical labour utilisation, from the lowest level of 16% before On Key to an achieved weekly level of above 60% within two months of the roll-out. Although this isn’t the actual increase in labour efficiency, it is a reflection on the fact that labour hours are now formally captured and logged, along with a reduction in non-value adding administrative tasks.

Value Add

  • Technical labour efficiency is easily reported and has improved due to visibility, less administrative tasks and better workload spread.
  • TMACC also utilised Pragma’s Asset Identification and Verification (AIV) business process by tagging all their assets with both barcodes
    and QR codes to allow for scanning and identifying of specific assets in support of On Key mobile Work Manager app.
  • The Work Manager app offers easy accessibility for all requestors and allows work to be captured even with no internet connection in
    rugged terrain.
  • Requestors can view the status of their task requests without other communication required. This also reduces the duplication of requests.
  • By creating a paperless environment, paperwork is minimised, and data availability and data velocity are improved.
  • Signoff and approval time has decreased.
  • Reporting and analysing is dynamic and up to date on demand.

Tools and Technology

  • On Key Action
  • On Key EAMS
  • Work Manager application for mobile phones or tablets