Innovation development for intelligent transport solutions in the wake of digitalization

Optimizing processes in rail freight transport

In 2015, the company set the goal of automating and digitalizing the processes in rail freight transport in order to be able to ensure competitiveness regarding costs, productivity, utilization, and technological sustainability and in so doing to generate added value for customers. In addition, new intelligent transport solutions were supposed to strengthen the core business. In addition, new intelligent transport solutions were supposed to strengthen the core business.

To reach this goal, SBB Cargo relied on the support of 3DSE Management Consultants. With the help of 3DSE’s ‘Innovation Cell’ approach, an interdisciplinary team worked out solutions to the challenge within 5 days. The first step here was to determine the main success factors, as well as the essential parameters and indicators The next step focused on customers and their requirements or use cases. Based on the knowledge collected by the team as a whole, a total of 16 solution elements were then generated and described in detail. Based on the findings collected jointly by the team, a total of 16 solution elements were then generated and described in detail. With the help of the generated solution elements, three target systems that build on each other over time could be developed and presented in an implementation roadmap.

Since 2015, SBB Cargo has been working in an agile manner to implement the developed roadmap on digitalization/automation of rail freight. In some cases, new technologies are being jointly developed for this purpose as part of cooperative ventures between European national rail companies.

Anja-Maria Sonntag, Head of Transformation Asset at SBB Cargo AG, confirms: “We are pleased that the Innovation Cell carried out together with 3DSE was able to lay a foundation for this.”