Whatever sector our clients are active in, we help them to scale up, deliver their commercial ambitions, develop and implement new facilities or services, and stay ahead of the competition. Our team are able to support the physical, human, cultural and operational development that underpins success. 

Our service comprises technical, advisory and management consultancy provided by one, joined-up team. So clients benefit from Arup’s unmatched breadth of related expertise from strategic consulting, financial and investment planning, through to design and technical implementation.

How we can help you

Operational strategy

Defining a long-term vision for future success 

Operational strategy

We act as the ‘voice of the operator’ to define operational needs, working with current or future operators and maintainers to ensure that infrastructure meets expectations and can be operated and maintained efficiently.

Changes that can be made at relatively small cost by influencing the design upfront are often repaid many times over through the avoidance of ongoing operational and maintenance expenditure that can be ‘designed out’.

Defining the operational strategy for the Solidarity Transport Hub, Poland

When Poland was planning its Solidarity Transport Hub (STH), we developed a masterplan including an operational strategy that would define how the new airport infrastructure would work. That included logistics, cargo/freight flows, infrastructure requirements, and automation opportunities for future efficiency. The new aviation hub is expected to open in 2027.

Operational design

Optimising your assets, estates, equipment and skills to drive operational improvement 

Operational design

We work with clients to step back and look at their operations and consider if there are better ways to achieve business objectives.

By influencing at policy, strategy and tactical levels we are able to develop conceptual frameworks, bringing a best practice and global perspective that helps clients to optimise their operations and management structures for better outcomes.

Optimising operations at New Covent Garden Market

New Covent Garden Market (NCGM) is a fruit, vegetable and flower market operated in South London. The market’s 12-year renewal and regeneration programme has consolidated three sites, totalling 57 acres, onto a single 37 acre site releasing up 20 acres of land for development. We conducted a survey, and used automatic traffic counter (ATC) data to determine peak goods vehicle demand across the market. Our detailed analysis of the proposed construction phases and sub-phases against the agreed requirements ensured the market’s logistics capacity was maximised. The construction plans were subsequently updated, and a further round of analysis conducted.

Ensuring rail safety in the mobile device era

Like other major transport networks, UK rail has been wrestling with mobile phones' potential to cause operator distraction, leading to increased safety risks. Smart devices offer benefits but distraction is a significant danger. The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) commissioned Arup to review the effectiveness of railway operators' policies and implemented control measures for the unauthorised presence of 'mobile smart devices' in the driving cab. Our work also considered emerging technologies and incorporated these in risk analysis and operator policy. We combined research and analysis, with large scale stakeholder engagement with train drivers and operational managers from the passenger, freight, and infrastructure management sectors (2000+ respondents). This ensured operators can develop and maintain control measures and policies that reduce risk while continuing to gain the benefits of new technologies.

Operational readiness

Preparing your organisation for day one of a new service, facility or experience

Operational readiness

Users of a service, visitors to a new facility, passengers on a new transport network all expect a seamless experience from day one. Achieving this is a complex combination of training, documentation, trials and testing.

A couple of black rectangular devices.

Arup supported operational readiness for the Elizabeth Line through coordinated training, trials, and standards development.

We help clients to achieve complete readiness, not just operational readiness. Our approach is all encompassing, including preparations to open, operate, manage and maintain a new facility. This approach facilitates the opportunity to make progressive changes and adjustments ahead of the formal opening to assure success.

Preparing London’s Elizabeth Line for day one

The launch of a new rail system in a country's capital is always a major event to prepare and train for. For Crossrail (now the Elizabeth Line) we worked to provide strategic coordination across 25 Tier 1 contractors to deliver 14 training plans, 278 training packages, and 508 training sessions to familiarise staff who operate and maintain the new line. Our teams also reviewed standards, identified gaps, and developed new standards required for the CESAC. We also helped the RfLI Trial Operations team to deliver 150 trials and five major mass volunteer exercises involving from 30 to 2,000 people. The result was a seamless launch of what is now one of the most popular and transformative lines within London and the Southeast of England.

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Operational excellence

Achieve enduring improvement at an organisation-wide level – in people, practices and operations

Operational excellence

As a management philosophy, operational excellence emphasises continuous improvement across every aspect of a business – to ensure services and products consistently outperform competitors.

By focusing on operational excellence, organisations develop a culture where every employee is empowered to see, improve, and add value to the customer's experience, resulting lower operating costs, increased revenue and higher customer satisfaction.

We work at an operational level to help teams solve immediate performance challenges through the application of data-driven improvement methodologies, while providing them the skills, tools and techniques to embed a culture of ongoing continuous improvement.

Mapping processes to deliver transformation for Birmingham’s roads and streets

We developed a structured programme to map, analyse, and transform key service processes for Birmingham City Council's Highways and Infrastructure division, embedding continuous improvement, standardisation, and digital innovation. This was important as the council faced urgent pressures to clarify service scope, improve efficiency, and ensure financial sustainability. Historic inefficiencies, fragmented enquiry handling, and a legacy of complaints – especially in dropped kerbs and local engineering – required robust process mapping and analysis. We wanted to help reduce administrative burdens, support continuous improvement, and enable the highways and infrastructure team to adapt to new operational and financial realities.

Our work delivered measurable improvements in efficiency, clarity, and stakeholder engagement. Process mapping and analysis identified bottlenecks and waste, enabling targeted interventions. Continuous improvement is now embedded through regular workshops, feedback loops, and the use of the PDCA cycle.