SIE3012 – Integrated Work Study Programme
(IWSP)
Final Report
Jazly Aris Bin Hashizam Aris
2001140
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Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering (Land)
Engineering Cluster
Singapore Institute of Technology
AY2022/2023
24th July 2023
DECLARATION
I hereby declare that this IWSP final report has been cleared and approved by
all my present and past IWSP Work Supervisor/s that
the report does not contain any company’s proprietary or confidential information.
Signature
Jazly Aris Bin Hashizam Aris
24th July 2023
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Summary
The student’s IWSP was with Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) Network Renewal
(NWR) Light Rapid Transit (LRT) Division. NWR manages projects involving
Sengkang-Punggol LRT (SPLRT) and Bukit Panjang LRT (BPLRT). He was assigned
to assist in project C801B: Asset Replacement And Reliability Enhancement Works For
Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit. The project is split into three major components,
Signalling, Rolling Stock and OCC. The student was assigned to the team in charge of
C801B's rolling stock component, primarily working on project management-related
tasks like attending meetings and taking minutes, organising work crews on-site, and
showing up for site activities like site surveys, installations, and testing and
commissioning affairs. Tracking all contractual submissions and the status of test
reports was another responsibility assigned that was not limited to Rolling Stock.
The student was given 2 primary tasks and a continuous task to focus on throughout
the 12-month IWSP studentship. Firstly, to create an Excel file that would be able to
automatically track the details of documents submitted into LTA’s engineering
documents system (EPIC). Secondly, to produce a guidebook that can be used to
introduce new hires to BPLRT. Lastly, a continuous task to create an Excel template
where the test completion of each vehicle can be tracked. This template will be used
for both NCX1 and NCX2.
The Excel required the student to furnish the status and set of information, specified by
the task giver, for every single document. This Excel would not only track the
documents in EPIC that have been submitted but also the documents that were to be
submitted later. The completion of this project would mean an Excel that would
automate the current manual process of searching EPIC for each document. Thus,
eliminating mistakes from human error and reducing work time from 2 days to 30
minutes.
The second task was for the student to create a guidebook with information on the
BPLRT system. This guidebook would brief new hires on what the BPLRT system is,
how it functions, and what is being upgraded. It would be a guidebook consolidating
the information gathered from various documents, the student, SMRT staff and LTA
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staff. This helps speed up the familiarisation process for new hires as all the information
has been gathered in the guidebook. The guidebook would be an ongoing project with
new information added and old information updated or removed.
For a student entering the workforce, the IWSP studentship with the LRT project team
over the past 12 months has been a fascinating and crucial experience. The ability to
apply concepts from school modules on Rolling Stock, Signalling and Maintenance, to
a real-world system related the theoretical concepts from the textbooks to the practical
world. The student learned project management skills as well, learning how to
understand Gantt charts, managing works according to criticality and urgency, and how
to preside over a meeting. Being tasked with real-world experiences, helped the
student apply theory to practice and become a proficient professional in the railway
industry.
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Acknowledgment
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Mr Low Tian Leng (Deputy Director BPLRT Projects), Mr Teo Kim Yon (Project Manager - BPLRT Projects, IWSP Industry
Reporting Officer), Mr Jayson Ang (Senior Project Engineer - BPLRT Projects Rolling
Stock) and Professor Kenneth Sng (IWSP Academic Supervisor) and all the members
of LTA’s BPLRT Project Team.
The team as a whole has made my IWSP experience has been a fruitful one. At no time
during the 12-month journey did I ever feel lost or overwhelmed. They have ensured
that all the required resources for my growth in the workforce were provided and guided
me through every hurdle I encountered.
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Contents
1. Background ......................................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Company Background ................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Company Structure ....................................................................................................................... 1
1.3 BPLRT Background ........................................................................................................................ 2
1.4 Contract Background .................................................................................................................... 3
2. Job Scope and Responsibilities ........................................................................................................... 5
2.1 Project Management Responsibilities ...................................................................................... 5
2.2 Technical Responsibilities ......................................................................................................... 6
3. Training and Courses Attended........................................................................................................... 7
4. Tasks and Projects Undertaken........................................................................................................... 8
4.1. Project 1 – Automated Document Tracking................................................................................. 8
4.1.1 Project 1 Background ............................................................................................................. 8
4.1.2 Project 1 Scope ...................................................................................................................... 8
4.1.3 Project 1 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 8
4.1.4 Project 1 Automation ........................................................................................................... 10
4.1.5 Project 1 Deliverable ............................................................................................................ 12
4.1.6 Project Enhancement ........................................................................................................... 12
4.2. Project Guidebook ..................................................................................................................... 13
4.2.1 Project 2 Background ........................................................................................................... 13
4.2.2 Project 2 Scope .................................................................................................................... 13
4.2.3 Project 2 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 13
4.2.4 Project 2 Deliverable ............................................................................................................ 15
4.3 Continuous Testing Task ............................................................................................................. 15
4.3.1 Task Background .................................................................................................................. 15
4.3.3 Task Methodology................................................................................................................ 16
4.3.4 Task Deliverable ................................................................................................................... 17
5. Skills Attained .................................................................................................................................... 17
5.1 Soft Skills Attained ...................................................................................................................... 17
5.1.1 Interpersonal Skills ............................................................................................................... 17
5.1.2 Meeting Etiquette ................................................................................................................ 18
5.1.3 Project/Time Management .................................................................................................. 18
5.2 Technical Skills Attained.............................................................................................................. 19
5.2.1 Meeting Minute Writing ...................................................................................................... 19
6. Self-Reflection ................................................................................................................................... 19
7. References ........................................................................................................................................ 21
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List of Figures
Figure 1 Rail E&M Organisation Chart ....................................................................... 2
Figure 2 BPLRT System Map in 1999 [1] ................................................................... 3
Figure 3 NCX1 Vehicle Delivered for C801B [2] ......................................................... 4
Figure 4 NCX2 Lifted onto Guideway ......................................................................... 4
Figure 5 Attend Director Meeting ............................................................................... 5
Figure 6 Installation on Guideway .............................................................................. 7
Figure 7 Vehicle testing .............................................................................................. 7
Figure 8 Example of Documents to be Submitted List.............................................. 10
Figure 9 Sample of Extracted List from EPIC ........................................................... 10
Figure 10 Excel Information Template...................................................................... 11
Figure 11 VBA Script Sample ................................................................................... 11
Figure 12 Summary Tables ...................................................................................... 12
Figure 13 Example of Under Review Table .............................................................. 13
Figure 14 Guidebook Outline Example..................................................................... 14
Figure 15 Guidebook Example ................................................................................. 15
Figure 16 Test Procedure Example .......................................................................... 16
Figure 17 Tracking Example .................................................................................... 17
Figure 18 Eisenhower Matrix [3] ............................................................................... 18
List of Tables
Table 1 EPIC Status ................................................................................................... 9
Table 2 Summary page Project Status ....................................................................... 9
Table 3 Required Information to be Displayed ........................................................... 9
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1. Background
1.1 Company Background
Singapore's land transport development is regulated by the Land Transport Authority
(LTA), a statutory division of the Ministry of Transport. Established in 1995, it is
responsible for managing the infrastructure and procedures for planning, designing,
building, and maintaining transportation. By integrating a more environmentally friendly
and accessible public transportation system, LTA hopes to increase Singapore's land
transportation connectivity.
LTA has been steadily enhancing Singapore's rail and bus infrastructure as the city's
commuter population grows. To fulfil the daily commuter demand of seven million
people, more trains and buses must be purchased. The infrastructure must also be
upgraded to be able to handle these increasing demands. As there are more
neighbourhoods, LTA is also attempting to improve commuter accessibility by enlarging
the rail network.
By incorporating modern technologies into LTA’s Master Plan, LTA hopes to enhance
road linkages and point-to-point travel alternatives while boosting the dependability of
the public transport system. This is in line with LTA's objective to develop a ground
transport network in Singapore that links different communities and locations by having
a dependable public transit system, smoothing traffic flow on the roads, and viable
transport options for the differently abled.
1.2 Company Structure
LTA is divided into multiple divisions that deal with the various facets of transport in
Singapore. Some of the divisions include the Thomson-East Coast and Cross Island
Lines, Traffic and Road Operations, Rail Asset Ops and Maintenance, Rail
Infrastructure and Expansion, and Rail Electrical and Mechanical. The student carried
out his 12-month IWSP in LTA’s BPLRT team. The BPLRT team is a subgroup of the
Light Rail Transit group which is a part of the Rail Electrical and Mechanical division.
The BPLRT team manages projects involving various systems for Bukit Panjang as
shown in the table below.
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Figure 1 Rail E&M Organisation Chart
1.3 BPLRT Background
A significant component of the city-state's public transport system is the BPLRT system,
situated in the western part of Singapore. The earliest light rail transit line in Singapore
started revenue services on 06 November 1999. The 7.6-kilometre long BPLRT system
is an automated guideway transport with 13 stations distributed in the region of Bukit
Panjang and Choa Chu Kang and a depot situated in Junction 10, previously known as
Ten Mile Junction. The BPLRT system currently has a fleet of 19 ECX vehicles in
service since 1999, and 13 NCX2 vehicles in service since 2015. As of July 2020, the
BPLRT system, which is run by SMRT, has a daily ridership of about 64,781 people per
day.
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Figure 2 BPLRT System Map in 1999 [1]
1.4 Contract Background
The contract the student would be involved in is titled C801B: Asset Replacement And
Reliability Enhancement Works For Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit and will now be
referred to as C801B. The contract was awarded to Bombardier Transportation
(acquired by Alstom on 29 January 2022) on 07 March 2018.
The contract consists of:
1) Replacing the legacy Signalling system, CityFlo 550, with CommunicationsBased Train Control (CBTC), CityFlo 650
2) Manufacturing, delivery and testing of 19 new vehicles (NCX1)
3) Retrofitting and testing of 13 existing vehicles (NCX2)
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Figure 3 NCX1 Vehicle Delivered for C801B [2]
The C801B site office is located beside the BPLRT depot on State Land MK1103827APT along Choa Chu Kang Road. The site office houses Alstom and LTA
personnel where meetings and discussions take place daily. The site office is also the
location where the NCX1 and NCX2 vehicles are lifted onto the BPLRT guideway
through the use of a 250-ton crane seen in Figure 4.
Figure 4 NCX2 Lifted onto Guideway
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2. Job Scope and Responsibilities
The student was assigned to LTA’s LRT Division BPLRT Project Team, who is
undertaking project C801B: Asset Replacement And Reliability Enhancement Works
For Bukit Panjang Light Rail Transit. The student was assigned to assist the team in
charge of C801B's rolling stock component as a Project Engineer. This involved both
Project Management and Technical Responsibilities.
2.1 Project Management Responsibilities
Under Project Management, the student was involved in multiple tasks that required
project management skills to complete. The tasks were:
1) Attend Meetings – The student attended meetings, shown in Figure 5, where
technical and contractual matters were discussed. The student took meeting
notes during the meetings and wrote meeting minutes after each meeting.
Minutes for each meeting will need to be updated, vetted, finalised, and
distributed within 3 days of the meeting. The minutes are used for every
subsequent meeting and are updated accordingly.
Figure 5 Attend Director Meeting
2) Chair Meetings – Once the student gained sufficient knowledge, he was
allowed to chair meetings under guidance. This involved ensuring every
meeting point in the meeting minutes were discussed and the meeting minutes
were subsequently updated with the discussed points.
3) Liaising with Stakeholders – The student was in charge with liaising with Alstom
US counterparts for LTA’s visit to the US factories. The student had to ensure
the itinerary given by Alstom was feasible and there was enough time for
recovery from jet lag. The student was tasked with searching for feasible flights
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from Singapore to the US. The flights had to have the proper arrival and
departure date and times, have as little layovers and shortest flight time as
possible, and the price of the tickets had to be justifiable. The student was
charged with finding suitable accommodation in the US that was suitable for
the budget given. The accommodation had to be close to the factories LTA
would be visiting and have adequate long stay facilities.
4) Upper Management Visits – The student was tasked with assisting the
Managers and Engineers for all upper management visits. These visits included
LTA’s Chief Executive, SMRT’s CEO and Alstom’s Upper Management Team.
He assisted in the planning of site visit activities and the production of
presentation slides. On the day of the visits, the student assisted in the guided
tours by ensuring all presentation materials need have been prepared ahead
of time.
2.2 Technical Responsibilities
The student was also given responsibilities that required technical knowledge and skills.
Technical responsibilities were:
1) Document Review – Technical documents are submitted to LTA detailing the
vehicle’s electrical and mechanical design, vehicle operating procedures and
vehicle maintenance manuals. The student was required to review each
submitted document to ensure what was submitted was according to LTA’s
specifications and the different international Engineering Standards.
2) Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) Review – Ensure the installation
methods detailed in the SWMS follow safety guidelines and appropriate LTA
installation methods. This includes but is not limited to, the correct and
appropriate use of PPE, tools to be used, number of manpower, method of
entry to the work site, delivery of tools and equipment to the work site, and the
method in which the work is to be carried out.
3) Site Installation – Supervision of site installations required the student to know
and understand what was to be installed and how to install it correctly and safely.
This required the student to know the basic safety requirements during
installations.
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Figure 6 Installation on Guideway
4) Vehicle Testing – The student supervises vehicle testing, seen in Figure 7, to
ensure the test is carried out according to the accepted test procedures. During
the tests the student, was to ensure no deviations from test procedures and if
any deviations were required, they were to be noted down for review. Test
results were to be taken down after every test to compare against the officially
submitted test reports to ensure no mistakes or deviations from the actual test
results.
Figure 7 Vehicle testing
3. Training and Courses Attended
The student attended the Safety Induction Course (SIC), chaired by Alstom’s Safety
Manager, within the first week of IWSP. The SIC ensures all attendees know the safety
requirements for each type of work that would be carried out. The use of personal
protective equipment (PPE) was also elaborated on how to wear and when to wear
them.
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4. Tasks and Projects Undertaken
The student was tasked with multiple responsibilities as elaborated on in Section 2. Job
Scope and Responsibilities. In addition to the aforementioned responsibilities, the
student was assigned 2 projects and a continuous. Firstly, to create an Excel file that
would be able to automatically track the details of documents submitted into LTA’s
engineering documents system (EPIC). Secondly, to produce a guide booklet that can
be used to introduce new hires to BPLRT. The continuous task was to create an Excel
template where the test completion of each vehicle can be tracked. This template will
be used for both NCX1 and NCX2.
4.1. Project 1 – Automated Document Tracking
4.1.1 Project 1 Background
A part of C801B’s contractually obligated deliverable is the submission of documents
detailing the product design, product and installation drawings, test procedures and
reports, and operating and maintenance manuals. These submissions can number in
the thousands with multiple revisions of the same documents being submitted. These
submitted documents will need to be uploaded into EPIC, reviewed and a status
assigned within a stipulated timeframe. The status of each submitted document needs
to be updated to LTA’s upper management weekly.
4.1.2 Project 1 Scope
The student was tasked to create an Excel where the required information on each
submitted, and to-be-submitted document is displayed. The information required as
specified by the task giver were document number and title, current revision, submitted
date of the current revision, acceptance status, review finish date and the number of
days LTA took to review the document.
A summary page was to be included to show the acceptance statuses of each project
stage as defined by the task giver.
4.1.3 Project 1 Methodology
Before an Excel could be created, there were a few requirements the student needed
to follow and some information the student needed to find out.
Firstly, the student had to define the statuses that would need to be displayed which
are shown in Table 1.
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Table 1 EPIC Status
A
Accepted
AC Accepted with Comments
NA
Not Accepted
UR
Under Review
NS
Not Submitted
Then the project stages needed to be confirmed for the summary page as seen in Table
2.
Table 2 Summary page Project Status
Stage
Pre-Final
Pre-Final (Power Rail)
Final (Mixed Mode) - SIG/COMMS/PDS Code Only
Final (Vehicle) - NCX1 & NCX2 Code Only
Final (Full CBTC) - SIG Code Only
Final (Option 1 Interim OCC) - OCC Code Only
Final (Option 1 Final OCC) - OCC Code Only
FCDD (Vehicle) - NCX1 Code Only
FCDD (Vehicle) - NCX2 Code Only
FCDD - PDS Code Only
Test Procedures (Vehicle) - NCX1 Code Only
Test Procedures (Vehicle) - NCX2 Code Only
Test Procedures (Signalling) - SIG Code Only
Test Procedures (Comms) - COM Code Only
Test Procedures (Option 1 Interim OCC) - OCC Code Only
Test Procedures (Option 1 Final OCC) - OCC Code Only
Test Procedures (EMC) - EMC Code Only
Test Procedures (Interface) - ITF Code Only
Test Procedures (General) - GEN Code Only
Thirdly, the required information is to be displayed on each sheet for each project stage
as shown in Table 3.
Table 3 Required Information to be Displayed
Document Number
Document Title
Current Revision
Current Status
Document Received Date
Document Closure Date
Days LTA Review
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Fourth, the student needed the full list of documents there were contractually obligated
to be submitted throughout the project. This was supplied to the student by the Project
Engineer in the form of a long list in an Excel file shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8 Example of Documents to be Submitted List
The last piece of information provided to the student was a way for the student to see
the status of every document submitted since the start of the project in 2019. This came
in the form of an Excel list that was extracted from the EPIC system containing
thousands of rows of information similar to Figure 9.
Figure 9 Sample of Extracted List from EPIC
The method the student came up with to complete this project was to automate the
Excel to look up the required information in Table 3 from the extracted list from EPIC in
Figure 9 every time the document status information is required to be sent to LTA’s
upper management.
4.1.4 Project 1 Automation
Before the student could work on the automated process, he had to first create an Excel
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template for the information to be presented as seen in Figure 10.
Figure 10 Excel Information Template
The template served as a look up table for the document numbers that the Excel would
end up using as a reference to search in the extracted EPIC list. Next, the student used
Microsoft’s Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) to create a script, seen in Figure 11, that
would be run every time a created button in the Excel is pressed.
Figure 11 VBA Script Sample
The script uses the document numbers column in every Excel sheet, seen in Figure 10,
to search for its corresponding row in the extract EPIC list seen in Figure 9. For example,
once the script finds the rows which contain the document number “801B/NCX1/2001”
it would then search the selected rows to find the row that has the latest revision and
use the information only found in that single row. The information is then printed into
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the cells of the Excel sheet seen in Figure 10.
4.1.5 Project 1 Deliverable
The final product was an Excel that was able to automate what was done manually.
Instead of an Engineer having to manually look up the status and information of every
document in EPIC, they would now only need to extract the EPIC list and press a button
created in the Excel. The Excel would also automatically update the summary tables in
the first sheet as seen in Figure 12. This removed any mistakes that might occur from
human error and reduced the time need to complete the task from 2 days to 30 minutes.
Figure 12 Summary Tables
4.1.6 Project Enhancement
After the project deliverable was completed and disseminated for use, the student spoke
to the users on possible improvements that could be made. A popular suggestion was
a way for the users to filter what documents had the “Under Review” status. Users
wanted a table that showed what documents were currently “Under Review” across all
project stages as shown in Figure 13.
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Figure 13 Example of Under Review Table
This would have been a simple improvement to implement if the lists of documents were
compiled into a single table. Unfortunately, the Excel consisted of multiple sheets with
multiple tables in each sheet. For the student to solve problem, he turned to VBA.
Through VBA coding, the rows with the documents still “Under Review” in all sheets
would be compiled by the code and then displayed in a table similar to Figure 13 in the
Summary sheet together with the summary table in Figure 12. User now did not have
to go through each sheet in the Excel in order to know what documents were still “Under
Review”.
4.2. Project Guidebook
4.2.1 Project 2 Background
LTA has new hires as well as seasoned colleagues from other departments joining the
BPLRT Project Team. Every time that happens, they would need to be briefed on LTA
administration matters and what the BPLRT system is, how it functions, and what was
being upgraded for the project. This required repetitive work which often times resulted
in different information being shared or information being missed out.
4.2.2 Project 2 Scope
The project aimed to create a guidebook that would detail all LTA administration matters
and the different railway systems in BPLRT and how they functioned individually,
interfaced with each other and how the BPLRT system works as a whole. The
guidebook would be updated whenever there are changes to LTA administration or to
the current project that is undergoing. Relevant information can be added, and old
information updated or removed when needed.
4.2.3 Project 2 Methodology
The student created a PowerPoint file with an outline of the information to be included
in the guidebook. This would serve as a checklist to ensure sufficient information has
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been included, an example of this checklist is shown in Figure 14. The checklist can be
updated to either include more items or remove obsolete ones.
Figure 14 Guidebook Outline Example
The completion of the checklist would allow the student to source the relevant
information for each item. He would need to ascertain where the information can be
found by either using the internet, LTA’s intranet or asking LTA and SMRT staff.
Before starting the search for information, the student listed out the likely information
source for each item in the checklist. This would assist in shortening the time of sourcing
for information by collating the different checklist items by their information sources. For
example, information for checklist items 1 to 3 and 9 to 11 can be found on LTA’s
intranet. Instead of having to access the intranet multiple times, the student can access
the intranet and know what information needs to be found there. This method is
repeated for all the information sources, reducing the number of times the resource
needs to be accessed. The information is then transferred into the relevant pages in the
guidebook, hence turning the guidebook into a collated document of all the information
from the multiple resources. An example of the information found in the guidebook is
shown in Figure 15.
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Figure 15 Guidebook Example
4.2.4 Project 2 Deliverable
The guidebook will be provided to the BPLRT team in the form of PowerPoint slides.
The guidebook can be printed in PDF format for dissemination and edited in PowerPoint
for clarification. The guidebook is still being worked on by the student as not all checklist
items have been completed by the end of the 12-month IWSP. This is acceptable as
the guidebook is a live document and would be constantly updated according to
information changes.
4.3 Continuous Testing Task
4.3.1 Task Background
The vehicles (NCX1 & NCX2) under C801B undergo 2 major types of testing, onshore
tests that are conducted in Singapore, and offshore tests where the tests are done in
Alstom’s manufacturing plant or test facility in Wuhu, China.
The tests are conducted through the use of test procedures, where each test would
have a specific test procedure assigned to it. A test procedure would contain multiple
test cases and a single test case would have multiple test steps. An example of how
the test flows can be seen in Figure 16 Test Procedure Example
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Figure 16 Test Procedure Example
This test flow would be repeated for every single vehicle that was to be delivered under
C801B. Totalling 19 test suites for NCX1 and 13 test suites for NCX2. An accurate
method to track each test was needed to ensure no test was left out or had failed for
each vehicle. For the purpose of tracking the test statuses, the student created an Excel.
4.3.3 Task Methodology
The first step the student took before creating the Excel was to compile the list of tests
that would be carried out for NCX1 and NCX2. There were 76 onshore and offshore
tests for NCX1 and 31 onshore tests for NCX2.
The next step was time consuming as it required the student to read each test procedure
carefully. The student had to record down every test step for each of the test case for
every test procedure. Certain test procedures might contain only 3 test cases while
some can contain up to 12, and each test case can contain from 6 to 20 test steps. This
ended up with a significant number of test steps that needed to be tracked for each
vehicle.
Figure 17 below shows an example of how the tracking of test 902 VATC Static would
look like in the Excel. As seen, for test case 13.2 there were multiple test steps that
needed to be carried out and results recorded.
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Figure 17 Tracking Example
4.3.4 Task Deliverable
Once the student has completed the Excel, the tracking of test completion will be
organised and simplified. No test step would be skipped unnoticed, every test result
would be recorded, and any test status would be easily verified.
5. Skills Attained
Throughout the 12-month IWSP, I was able to cultivate skills that were not taught in
school. These skills can be classified into soft skills, skills that help with interpersonal
communications, and technical skills that enable me to perform my practical tasks.
5.1 Soft Skills Attained
5.1.1 Interpersonal Skills
I have been able to improve my interpersonal skills through constant interaction with
people of different socioeconomic, cultural, racial, and religious backgrounds.
A method I found useful in improving interpersonal skills would be observing how a
senior Engineer is able to take control and calm a tense meeting where tempers start
to rise for all parties.
Another method is to actively listen when people are talking as compared to listening
for the sake of answering or passively listening. I would wait to form an answer only
after the other party has completed speaking rather than forming an answer while the
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other party is still speaking. I am also more aware of visual cues the other party might
portray and the visual cues I might unintentionally be portraying. For example, crossing
my arms while listening might portray a negative emotion when I do not intend to.
5.1.2 Meeting Etiquette
I had the opportunity to attend and chair multiple meetings. While attending meetings I
learned how to properly behave, to respect the chairperson and also to be more
productive throughout the meeting. I am now aware to always be prepared for the
meeting before the meeting even starts. This does not just mean being punctual for the
meeting but also being aware of the meeting agenda and the meeting minutes if there
are any. Respecting the chairperson means giving my full attention to them for the
duration of the meeting. I do this by not having my handphone anywhere visible where
the buzzing or screen lighting up might distract me or the speaker. Another meeting
etiquette I found to be often overlooked would be the tendency to fidget. Fidgeting can
be distracting to others in the meeting and might also portray boredom or restlessness.
5.1.3 Project/Time Management
Without exception, every project has a deadline, and every task within the project has
a deadline as well. I learned to set an appropriate amount of time for every task in
accordance with how difficult it may be for me to complete. I learned to judge which
tasks to complete first and how much time to assign to them according to their criticality
and urgency. A useful tool to do this would be the Eisenhower Matrix [3] seen below in
Figure 18.
Figure 18 Eisenhower Matrix [3]
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5.2 Technical Skills Attained
5.2.1 Meeting Minute Writing
I was given multiple opportunities to write meeting minutes for a multitude of meetings,
which ranged from technical meetings to contractual meetings. With the meetings not
being recorded, it forced me to improve my listening and writing skills to ensure no
points discussed in the meetings were missed out from my minutes. I learned how to
take down only the most necessary pointers for each meeting minute agenda.
6. Self-Reflection
The IWSP journey has gifted me a better understanding of what it takes to keep our
land transport systems moving and be a viable transport option for the residents. It
allowed me to appreciate the amount of work LTA and railway operators have to go
through to ensure the railway systems in Singapore are safe and reliable.
I was fortuitous to have been assigned to LTA’s BPLRT team. After sharing my
experiences with the students assigned to other divisions in LTA, I realised I have had
the chance to experience many unique instances. I have had the opportunity to
telecommunicate with people in multiple time zones and experience the different
working customs of people who may work in the same company but are based in
different countries. I was given the good fortune of rubbing shoulders with LTA’s CE,
Alstom’s upper management and SMRT’s CEO. Being involved in their visits to BPLRT
taught me how to portray a professional image to proudly represent LTA.
The first few weeks of my IWSP journey were a challenging period. It took some time
to familiarise myself with the technical jargon constantly used. I had to quickly learn how
the systems were designed to function and how to spot if they were malfunctioning. I
overcame this shortfall by always asking questions and always searching for why
certain functions behaved the way they do. By always being curious I learned more and
fast.
I learned many soft skills that would be viable throughout my career not just in the
railway sector but all work sectors. One of which would be meeting etiquette, this is a
skill that transfers well into all career sectors not just railway. Through polishing my
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meeting skills, I improved my presentations, minute writing and listening skills. I am
more eloquent in my presentations which would be a plus when I am being interviewed
for positions in a company.
IWSP has allowed me to explore a career path in project management to see if it would
be a good fit for the mindset and skills I have. It has allowed me to develop and refine
the soft and hard skills school has imparted to me. School has planted the seeds of a
future engineer in me and IWSP has allowed that seed to grow and flourish. My IWSP
journey has established my affinity for a career in project management. I thoroughly
enjoyed the experiences and challenges I have journeyed through in my IWSP.
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7. References
[1] “Land Transport Guru,” [Online]. Available:
https://landtransportguru.net/train/bplrt/.
[2] M. Loh, “A Train of Thought,” SGTrains, 19 April 2022. [Online]. Available:
https://blog.sgtrains.com/2022/04/new-3rd-generation-bukit-panjang-lrt-trainarrives-in-singapore/. [Accessed 17 July 2023].
[3] V. Bansal, “Tech Tello,” [Online]. Available:
https://www.techtello.com/eisenhower-productivity-matrix/. [Accessed 18 July
2023].
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