
LLW Repository Ltd (LLWR) is a waste management company that provides services to customers to treat and dispose of low-level radioactive waste (LLW). It manages the national Low-Level Waste Repository in West Cumbria on behalf of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), overseeing a National LLW Programme to ensure that lower activity waste is managed effectively across the UK. After a competitive evaluation, LLWR appointed our company to implement an integrated risk database solution to embed risk management.
Challenge
Prior to 2007, when LLWR was established as an independent Site Licence Company, LLWR’ s risk team had very little control over its shared systems. Moving away from spreadsheet-based methods towards more scalable solutions was part of the business’s growth plans.
“We were looking for a tool that would integrate all of our risk data, and provide us with analytical capability – basically a one-stop shop for risk management. Given the industry we work in, the tool also needed to have a robust audit trail.”
The Solution
Our team, led by Susheel Chumber, Head of Consultancy, supported the implementation of Predict! within LLWR. Key features included:
- Comprehensive Monte Carlo based cost and schedule analysis
- Multi-user, web-based access
- Reporting to show how LLWR can best focus resources and justify expenditure on mitigation actions
Charlotte Candy, Risk Manager at LLWR comments, “Use of Predict! as our risk management tool supports the embedding of risk management, and whilst we could continue to manage the organizations risks without a risk management tool, use of Predict! enables us to demonstrate risk management succinctly and effectively, as well as reporting comprehensively to both the board and our clients.”
For LLWR, Predict! has driven engagement by allowing the team to embed risk management fully across the business, becoming part of everyday project management. A real differentiator in our approach was the integration and scalability; starting as a single user system, it is now a multi-user fully configurable network solution. Now, both project control engineers and project managers access the software, creating transparency across the business.
The Benefits
Ease of access to the platform means that Charlotte has seen a significant uplift in organizational engagement with risk management. “People definitely ask more questions about risk management now and we’re seeing far more engagement from all areas of the business.”
Effective training is a major component for this. Susheel explains, “Predict! works best when users can see how it helps their roles and their organization. That’s why we configured the platform to meet the specific needs of LLWR. At the same time ensuring LLWR had the skills to modify their configuration as their business needs evolved. Our team have also provided coaching and helpdesk support, especially around schedule analysis. This gives LLWR confidence in the decisions they are taking.”
Shaping risk management
The accessibility of Predict! has been vital to LLWR’s successful embedding of risk management, and the support received from our team, and their willingness and responsiveness to provide resolution to challenges, has contributed to this success.