Arie van As and Paul van Mechelen are partners in Rafiki RAMS. The consultancy and interim-management organisation focuses on infrastructure, rolling stock, defense and maritime assets in all aspects of their life cycle. Core fields of expertise include RAMS life cycle management, strategy & leadership development, operations, quality management and innovation in maintenance organisations.

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Arie van As MSc, is the former chairman of NedTrain – the Rolling stock maintenance organisation of Dutch Railways. He has an established track record in leading profound change in production and maintenance organizations. Arie gained his operational knowledge from the automotive industry with DAF Trucks. He is an industry expert linking board level decisions to the actual shop floor. In 2010, he set up his own consultancy firm - the Rechtsdraaiende Organisatie -, now employing 15 senior experts from the asset management and railway industry.

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Paul van Mechelen, MSc is former head of Corporate Strategy at Dutch Railways. Prior to that, he built up significant experience in strategy consulting. Within Dutch Railways, he has been responsible for designing the strategy of NS at board level. He founded his own strategy consultancy firm advising organizations in the rolling stock manufacturing industry and the automotive industry. Paul combines thorough and pragmatic knowledge of the international railway industry with abstract thinking and organizational sensitivity. He is a naval architect by education

 

Arie van As and Paul van Mechelen have a longstanding international relationship. Joint projects include the establishment and implementation of the rolling stock strategy for Dutch Railways/NedTrain; the RAMS assessment of the high-speed trains of Ansaldo Breda, various maintenance site assessments; audit on the metro North-South line in Amsterdam, the asset strategy for the transition towards zero emission for a public transport company, the feasibility and the set up up of a maritime development and innovation center.

 

Structured RAMS management of assets allow asset owners and operators to achieve better performance at lower costs. This requires a thorough understanding of all aspects of Asset Management, from long term strategy to day-to-day maintenance management.

Rafiki RAMS can assist in analysing current performance, and recommending and executing improvements.