Overview
| Employees | About 2.200 |
| Vehicles | About 320 locomotives |
| Transport services | 200,000 tons of goods per day |
| Operations | Freight transport |
| Objectives | Replacing the diverse system landscape with an integrated standard system, Simplifying and standardising processes, Automating and optimising resource planning and dispatching |
| Special features | Extremely volatile planning conditions, Operation in the IVU.cloud |
| IVU products | IVU.timetable, IVU.run, IVU.duty, IVU.vehicle, IVU.crew, IVU.pad, IVU.cloud |
Initial situation
SBB Cargo, the freight transport division of Swiss Federal Railways, handles almost a quarter of all freight transport service in Switzerland. In the highly cost-sensitive logistics sector, optimum planning and utilisation of resources deliver crucial competitive advantages. Extremely volatile planning conditions (such as changes to customer orders or train path availability at short notice, adverse weather conditions etc.) make planning more difficult. Changes can occur until just before the actual day of production – with impacts on vehicle and staff deployment that have to be communicated reliably and promptly. SBB Cargo previously used several different systems for this highly complex task.
Objectives
In launching an invitation to tender for a new system for planning and dispatching of its resources, SBB Cargo pursued four main objectives: the existing diverse planning and dispatching systems were to be replaced by an integrated standard system. At the same time, SBB Cargo targeted a substantial decrease in maintenance expenditure and IT operating costs.
In addition, in-house planning processes were to be simplified and adapted to the standard product to be used. Process automation and the use of optimisation components were to accelerate planning and improve the quality of planning outcomes. One particular focal point here was the reduced use of resources through optimum planning and utilisation of vehicle and staff.
"The collaboration with IVU Instead of coordinating multiple suppliers, we receive the entire service from a single source with the IVU.cloud, allowing us to respond quickly to changes and adapt the system flexibly."
Solution
SBB Cargo opted for the integrated planning and dispatching software IVU.rail. The key factors were the high level of standardisation of the system and the available optimisation components.
Alongside the launch of IVU.rail, the long-established planning and operating processes were streamlined and reformed – consequently, the entire planning process is supported by a single software package in every phase.
SBB Cargo also uses the wide-ranging optimisation tools of IVU.rail. For example, automatic staff dispatching allocates all duties automatically while ensuring that the applicable statutory and in-house working-time regulations are adhered to. Recurring schedules can be created quickly thanks to the automation.
The integrated employee portal IVU.pad.employee also facilitates communication between dispatchers and staff.
Due to the high flexibility and scalability, SBB Cargo is also relying on hosting IVU.rail in the IVU.cloud. This enables all the relevant employees to work simultaneously on the highly available servers via a secure connection. IVU is also taking over the entire technical management of operations in close cooperation with SBB Cargo.
Outcome
The introduction of IVU.rail has enabled SBB Cargo to plan and dispatch vehicles and staff in a fully integrated process from a long-term and short-term perspective. IVU.rail helps to ensure optimum utilisation of resources and to adapt planning to changed transportation.
With the employee portal, all relevant information is available and up to date, even when changes are made at short notice. Printouts and notices are no longer required. Because of the IVU.cloud, SBB Cargo receives regular updates and new releases.
Last update: January 2020
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IVU Traffic Technologies AG
Headquarters
Bundesallee 88
12161 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49.30.8 59 06 -0
E-mail: contact@ivu.com
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