The Canal & River Trust

Context

Nine Feet Tall were approached to support the Canal & River Trust in redefining their operational processes since they had evolved from six independent regional bodies into a single entity. Issues reported on the network, ranging from minor defects to more complex operational incidents, needed to move efficiently from initial reporting through to resolution. The aim was to understand the scale of the challenge, to inform what needed to be done to bring consistency to how regional teams were logging and resolving these issues. The organisation needed a structured understanding of how work was currently carried out across its regions to plan for a future more collaborative way of working.

Nine Feet Tall came in to project manage this journey and provide business analyst expertise in understanding current and future processes.

Delivery

Nine Feet Tall designed and facilitated a structured discovery phase for the project. Regional workshops were conducted to capture and clarify the existing “as-is” processes. They focused on how incidents were logged, assessed and resolved across operational teams. This work was supported by engagement with operational management, engineers, planners and IT specialists alongside close collaboration with the executive team to guide strategic decision-making.

Building on this foundation, Nine Feet Tall provided support in defining a future state for how incident management and resolution should operate. A cross-functional workshop was held with representatives from all key stakeholder groups to develop to-be processes that reflected a more consistent and streamlined approach. These outputs were complemented by a recommendations report that outlined potential changes, supporting requirements and suggested priorities for implementation.

Outcome

Nine Feet Tall’s engagement provided the Canal & River Trust with the clarity it needed to move forward with confidence. By documenting and analysing the existing processes we helped to develop a shared understanding of the current operational landscape and the challenges created by historically fragmented ways of working.

The outputs from the engagement clearly articulated the areas where change would deliver the greatest value. Nine Feet Tall provided the organisation with a prioritised view of potential improvements and a structured roadmap for phasing future changes. This gave the leadership team the evidence and insight required to make informed decisions about the next stages of transformation.

The collaborative nature of the workshops also created wider organisational benefits. Stakeholders across the regions engaged strongly with the process and welcomed the opportunity to share their experiences and perspectives. As a result, teams felt heard and involved in shaping the future approach. The engagement ultimately provided clarity for operational teams and leadership alike, establishing a strong foundation for more consistent and effective ways of managing issues across the canal network.