My first Co-op internship was a 4-month long experience at VIA Rail Canada’s Vancouver Maintenance Center (VMC) during Spring of 2024. Here, I oversaw the implementation as lead project manager of seven continuous improvement projects. By studying and using various continuous improvement methodologies, such as Kaizen, 5S, Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing and Visual Management, I was able to successfully improve workplace task completion rate by approximately 10% on average.
I lead the development of each project from start to finish. After stakeholder consultation of the staff at VMC, I proposed each project to management after extensive research in both design requirements and specifications and specific stakeholder needs. I provided all necessary technical documentation to management, and after gaining approval, I oversaw the implementation of each project through correspondence with suppliers to procure necessary equipment, and consulting contractors to implement each project. After project implementation, I organized facility-wide training initiatives to ensure that my projects remain in use for the foreseeable future, and to ensure that workplace efficiency remains high.
The goal of each project was to reduce time spent on tasks by streamlining workflow through the creation of consistent locations for frequently accessed tools and equipment. Some examples of projects I worked on include equipment labels incorporating Visual Management for large, industrial tools, the creation of a centralized recycling station for metals, plastics and paper in on the floor of the facility, as well as the creation of a main table in the central meeting room for supervisors to easily identify which tasks need to be completed.
My experience at VIA Rail helped me gain insight into business efficiency and project management. I now incorporate aspects of Kaizen in every facet of my life, and I believe doing so has allowed to be significantly more efficient in my own personal workflows.