3Squared’s RailSmart software Highly Commended at RIIA

Sheffield-based digital technology consultancy 3Squared was highly commended at the annual Railway Industry Innovation Awards on 28 June 2019.

Held since 1998, the awards are the longest-running scheme in the country and are backed by Modern Railways, one of the largest industry and trade magazines.

RailSmart, 3Squared’s suite of business tools, was commended by the judges for its use of innovative technology which helps both train and freight operating companies improve their business processes and improve operational performance.

As well as helping businesses to reduce their costs by enabling operators to monitor people and performance, RailSmart is also paving the way for the industry to go paperless.

RailSmart Highly Commended at the Railway Industry Innovation Awards

For instance, 3Squared’s Employee Development System app allows companies to digitise manual record to help improve compliance processes. The system has been used by major companies, including Bombardier, which uses the system to manage 2,000 employees and contractors spread across 28 sites.

Using the Employee Development System software means that firms can keep a digital record of staff competency assessments so enabling users to deliver targeted training and support, route and traction knowledge, incidents, medicals and support plans while offering an improved view of competency data.

Prior to the introduction of 3Squared’s Employee Development System in 2017, train companies found records of employee competencies were not regularly updated and the process took up a lot of management time.

In addition, 3Squared’s Mobile Consisting Application has sped up the process of passing on relevant information relating to a freight train’s destination and the wagons used, for a number of freight operators and Network Rail.

Thanks to freight train companies using MCA, the office clerk time spent on train consists has been reduced to handle exceptions only and their time is being used to undertake more critical activities, while customers benefit from reduced turnaround time, helping to ensure customers’ trains depart on time, thanks to a reduction in consisting time at the yard or depot, which means more trains can be consistedper shift/day/crew member.

James Fox, commercial director of 3Squared commented: “It’s a real honour to have been recognised by Modern Railways and the rail community. It demonstrates the huge investment we are making in new technology is starting to have a real impact on improving operation and performance efficiency as well as reducing train and freight operating companies’ costs.

“Mobile devices and applications, such as RailSmart, are providing better information and performance management in a multitude of activities across the industry, improving accuracy, traceability and quality as they have in countless other industries. This can only be a good thing for the industry.”