A shared vision for Manchester's Bee Network

Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) is building the Bee Network – an integrated transport system bringing together buses, trams, walking, cycling and, eventually, rail under one network by 2030. We helped make this ambitious vision visual; giving teams and partners a clearer picture of how every piece of the network fits together, and a catalyst for crucial conversations.

Challenge

The Bee Network represents a huge transformation for Greater Manchester. Over several years, TfGM has expanded its tram network, introduced bus franchising and delivered a huge amount of change, but the organisation itself hasn't necessarily evolved at the same pace.

As different parts of the organisation and its partners worked towards the same ambition, there was a need for a clearer picture of where everything was heading – and how the different pieces connected.

The Bee Network is a big vision, and big visions are hard to explain with words alone. We were looking for a way to better articulate that vision so everybody could understand how it all hangs together and fits together.

Malcolm Lowe, Chief Information Officer, TfGM

TfGM needed a way to step back, look at the whole picture and give everyone a common starting point for the conversations ahead.

Solution

We worked closely with TfGM's leadership team to develop a vision map that brought the Bee Network into one visual story.

Rather than creating the map behind the scenes, we developed it collaboratively through a series of live sessions. Our visualiser captured ideas as they emerged, allowing the team to see the picture taking shape and respond to it in real time.

We explored how the different parts of the network connected, challenged what wasn't quite right and built up the map as the conversations developed.

That process turned out to be just as important as the finished map. It helped teams talk about where they were, where they needed to get to and how their work connected with everyone else's.

It really helped articulate where everybody was. I could see the challenges in some teams, and then we could come up with a common set of solutions… Definitely my favorite bit was just watching Matt (the Scriberia visualiser) work live.

Danny Vaughan, Chief Network Officer, TfGM

Results

The finished map gives TfGM a shared picture of the Bee Network – helping leadership teams, partners and colleagues see how the different parts fit together and where their own work sits within the bigger vision.

It also provides a practical reference point for communicating that vision across the organisation, without the need to wade through hundreds of pages of information.

A picture tells a thousand words, and I think the speed of the process and the collaboration involved just helped us produce something that you just cannot replicate in a big, thick, 200-page document that would probably take a lot longer to produce. So this isn't just a picture. It's a shared story of where the Bee Network is heading and how we get there together as an organisation.

Malcolm Lowe, Chief Information Officer, TfGM