Capability Brochure

Op

timisin

g L

ocatio

ns

Optimising Locations

Overview of Services

ANALYSIS

ORH’s experts use sophisticated

analytical techniques to develop

a comprehensive understanding

of the relationship between demand

for a service and utilisation of

resources. Internal service data is

combined with external sources,

such as travel times, population or

socio-demographic data, to provide

a detailed quantitative profile of

service provision.

MODELLING

Over the last two decades, ORH

has developed a suite of powerful,

bespoke computer models, based

on OR techniques. These are used

by our consultants to improve the

cost-effectiveness of a service and

to inform forward planning. Our

approach combines both optimisation

and simulation modelling, which

enables the assessment of a wide

range of options and ensures our

clients can respond confidently to the

many challenges they face.

CONSULTANCY

ORH consultants have gained a wealth

of experience in undertaking reviews

for public sector organisations, and in

working closely with clients to ensure

that planning solutions meet their

needs and are robust and sustainable.

The ORH ethos is to keep an open

mind, in order to derive optimal

solutions adapted to each service’s

unique circumstances.

SOFTWARE

ORH has supplied software to a

variety of different services, tailored

to the needs of individual clients.

Our software solutions range from

programs to assist dispatchers with

instant decision-making in Control,

to complex models designed to aid

appraisal of different planning options

for long-term service delivery. ORH

also provides comprehensive training

and ongoing support.

Capability Brochure

About ORH

What we do

OPTIMISING LOCATIONS

ORH is a management consultancy that uses Operational

Research (OR) techniques to carry out resource planning

studies for emergency services, health authorities, sports

bodies and other public sector organisations. Our offices

are situated in Reading, England.

Over more than 25 years, ORH has built up an international

portfolio of clients. We have completed over 500 reviews

in the UK, Australasia, North America and the Middle East,

working for service providers, commissioning bodies and

central government departments.

3

years

experience

reviews

undertaken

globally

25+ 500+

ORH creates sophisticated models to identify optimal locations for a range of public-sector facilities, analysing the interactions between travel times and current and future road networks, population levels and demographics.

HOW WE DO IT

ORH’s travel-time models are based on

either Ordnance Survey’s Integrated

Transport Network for Great Britain

or NAVTEQ’s global database of

street maps. Achievable road speeds

are calculated using data on road

categories and classifications, as well

as routing information for vehicle

restrictions, one-way roads and

turn restrictions. Raw journey times

are calibrated against actual travel

times experienced in the study area

at different times of day. Routing

software is used to analyse travel times

and to customise networks through

interventions such as closing roads,

changing speeds or changing the

direction of travel. This allows ORH to

create bespoke range cover models to

test numerous scenarios.

Population catchments are created

by combining these travel-time data

with the latest national survey data,

sourced from the UK’s Office of

National Statistics or its equivalent

– for example, the Australian Bureau

of Statistics. Future scenarios are

modelled using population projections,

housing growth information and

infrastructure change plans.

Drive time or walking isochrones

maps and catchment maps are then

produced to exemplify and display

service coverage and identify any

overall issues. A more detailed

understanding can be gained by

focusing on specific performance

statistics such as the percentage of

people within a 30-minute drive of

a service, both currently and in

the future.

Outputs from travel time and

population analysis are also used as

inputs to ORH’s optimisation model.

KEY BENEFITS

• Statistical analysis enables robust,

detailed comparison of current

and potential coverage

• Clear maps highlight areas

of insufficient coverage

Capability Brochure

Travel Times and Population Catchments Optimisation

OPTIMISING LOCATIONS

ORH has developed a unique and powerful program to optimise facility locations

ORH has developed a unique and powerful program to optimise facility locations. OGRE (which stands for “Optimising by Genetic Resource Evolution”) uses a sophisticated, geographically-based genetic algorithm to evaluate multiple options for facility locations. This enables millions of different configurations to be assessed within minutes. OGRE is also fully customisable, so it can be tailored exactly to the needs of individual clients.

HOW WE DO IT

Inputs to the model are taken from

ORH’s analyses of travel times and

population catchments. Optimisation

criteria are determined through

consultation with the client to reflect

objectives and targets, such as

minimising the average access travel

time or maximising the population

within 30 minutes’ drive of a facility.

OGRE will then identify optimal

solutions – in this case, to either

increase the population within a

30-minute drive with the same

number of sites or cover the same

percentage of the population using

fewer sites. The initial results are then

discussed with the client to inform

further modelling runs.

Current locations can be fixed within

the model runs and optimisation

carried out around them, or they can

be removed to identify a completely

greenfield solution. The number

of locations can also be fixed or

variable, according to the aim of the

optimisation study. ORH consultants

undertake many iterative optimisation

runs to draw out favoured solutions.

OGRE can produce a ranked list

of options, and identify the scope

for operational efficiencies across

estate and staffing. Once preferred

options have been identified, they are

evaluated using range cover models

(see previous page) to provide a

robust statistical comparison of the

benefits of each.

Following the selection of a final set

of locations, site-search maps are

provided to assist the client in the

procurement of new facilities.

KEY BENEFITS

• Solutions are bespoke, with

optimisation objectives specified by

the client

• Exhaustive analysis gives confidence

in the chosen solution, with millions

of options assessed by OGRE and

preferred solutions evaluated using

range cover models to produce

performance statistics

• Practical support for implementation,

with detailed location maps to

assist the procurement of identified

locations

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ORH has carried out many facility optimisation projects for organisations in the health sector, including studies of emergency service response locations and the reconfiguration of hospital specialties. These are typically used to inform future estate strategy and to ensure adequate service provision.

ORH’s unique approach combines

travel-time modelling with location

optimisation and population

catchment a nalysis. This enables us

to compare the supply of facilities

(such as hospitals with a cardiac

specialty) to the geographical need

for the service (cardiac patients), so

that the service can be configured to

meet current and future demand.

EXAMPLE: ACCESS MODELLING FOR THE NATIONAL BURN CARE GROUP

ORH was commissioned by the

National Burn Care Group to evaluate

different configurations of burns

centres across England and Wales.

A previous review had identified the

need for burns facilities to be accessible

across the country, but with a more

limited number of burns units providing

resuscitation, and a small number of

burns centres for those requiring the

most complex care. The broad objective

of the study was to model access

times to potential burns centres, both

by private car and public transport.

The configuration of burns facilities

and burns units was also modelled in

relation to options for burns centres,

and sensitivity analysis carried out on

the chosen configuration.

ORH set up a travel-time model for

England using geographically based

population statistics for a large set of

towns and villages across England and

Wales, incorporating both public and

private transport.

ORH’s location optimisation software

was used to identify the optimal

locations for 13 potential burns centres:

four adult and paediatric centres and

nine adult-only centres. ORH then

investigated the configurations that

would deliver maximum coverage,

with different numbers of centres from

within the 13. Optimum configurations

for six, seven and eight centres were

identified based on car travel times,

and then tested against the associated

travel times on public transport.

KEY BENEFITS

• Comprehensive, independent

assessment of options to determine

optimal balance between clinical

effectiveness and patient access

• Sensitivity analysis enables a range

of proposals to be evaluated,

including ‘greenfield’ solutions,

providing confidence in the

recommended option

• Studies can be used to inform

planning at a national, regional and

local level

Capability Brochure

Health Facilities

OPTIMISING LOCATIONS

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ORH’s unique approach combines travel-time modelling with location optimisation and population catchment analysis

ORH has worked with a range of sports organisations to provide analyses of population, demand and travel times to inform the provision of sports facilities. Our clients include national sports governing bodies such as British Cycling and England Athletics. ORH also operates the Facility Planning Model (FPM), a key strategic planning tool for Sport England, sportscotland and Sport Wales.

ORH combines analysis, modelling and

consultancy to solve complex planning

problems, from the optimum location

of sports facilities to how changes in

population characteristics might affect

demand, or the impact of changing

travel times on utilisation rates.

EXAMPLE: ENSURING ACCESS TO SPORT

ORH’s location optimisation model

(OGRE) is used both to identify the

optimum number of sports facilities

from existing networks and to select

locations for new facilities. OGRE

calculates optimum coverage by

analysing travel times between the

location of facilities and sources of

demand, such as members, the overall

population or educational institutions.

Off-peak travel times are calculated

using the latest road data from

Ordnance Survey’s Integrated Transport

Network, while coverage among the

general population can be assessed

using 2011 Census data from the Office

of National Statistics, either at current

levels or projected into the future.

Clients can choose specific demand

categories, and the importance of each

can be weighted. For example, existing

member locations could be ranked as

high preference with low preference for

the general population, and educational

institutions given a mid weighting.

Target travel-time thresholds for each

demand category can also be specified

by the client, such as maximising the

population within 30 minutes’ drive of

a facility. OGRE can then be used to

identify the best locations to maximise

coverage against the targets.

KEY BENEFITS

• Statistical analysis enables robust,

detailed comparison of current and

potential coverage

• Clear maps highlight areas with

insufficient coverage

• Sensitivity analysis enables alternative

proposals to be evaluated thoroughly

• Studies can be used to inform

planning at national, regional and local

level

Capability Brochure

Sports Facilities

OPTIMISING LOCATIONS

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ORH combines analysis, modelling and consultancy to solve complex planning problems

ORH has worked with clients across the public sector to answer complex planning questions about a wide range of facilities. Our unique approach combines travel-time modelling, location optimisation and population catchment analysis to match the supply of facilities (such as depots) to geographical demand for services (such as refuse collection). ORH’s studies enable service providers to configure their estate to deliver optimal service coverage as efficiently as possible.

EXAMPLE: ESTATE RATIONALISATION FOR THE VALUATION TRIBUNAL SERVICE

The Valuation Tribunal Service

(VTS) was seeking to optimise its

estate footprint and reduce its office

locations from eight to two or three.

It commissioned ORH to identify

the best strategic locations for VTS

offices in England, taking account of

the organisation’s financial constraints

and the requirements of its 100 staff,

750 members and more than 100,000

annual users. In addition, VTS routinely

hired 150 external venues in which

hearings took place. ORH was required

to identify an optimum network of

locations across the UK that reduced

the number of venues, while still

providing adequate access for VTS

users (the general public).

ORH set up a model with inputs

including the UK road network, Census

population data and current VTS office

and venue locations. The distribution

of travel times from population centres

to VTS venues was analysed, then

optimisation runs undertaken, to

minimise the number of venues. The

distribution of travel times between

the venues and VTS offices was also

analysed, for both private and public

transport, and options for two or three

offices were identified which would

minimise the change in travel times.

ORH identified a set of 80 potential

venue locations which provided the

same standard of population access

as the existing 150 locations. Two

separate solutions for three offices

were identified: one was a subset of the

current eight office locations, the other

introduced one new location while

retaining two existing offices. Each

solution was shown to be effective

when modelled alongside both the

current set of 150 venues and the

optimum 80-venue configuration.

KEY BENEFITS

• ORH’s road network data and

modelling enables the evaluation of a

large number of options within a very

short time

• Modelling demonstrates the potential

to make efficiency savings with

minimal negative impact on journey

times and distances

• ORH’s studies help public

organisations to determine which

of their ideas for change will have a

positive impact

• Transparent, evidence-based

approach gives clients confidence

that changes will produce the desired

results

• ORH’s independent approach can

highlight potential solutions which

have not previously been considered

Capability Brochure

Public Sector Facilities

OPTIMISING LOCATIONS

1110

ORH’s studies enable service providers to configure their estates to deliver optimal population cover as efficiently as possible

Capability Brochure

FIND OUT MORE

You can find out

more about our

range of services at:

www.orhltd.com

If you would like to

talk to one of our

consultants please call:

+44(0)118 959 6623

Or click:

orh@orhltd.com

Alternatively write

to us at:

ORH Ltd 19-23 Queen Victoria Street Reading Berkshire RG1 1SY United Kingdom

Emergency Service

Planning

Optimising Locations

Software Solutions

OPTIMISING LOCATIONS