How a smart competency management system can boost efficiency and productivity in the rail supply chain

Technological advancements have drastically improved our day-to-day lives. From digital banking to delivery apps, online shopping and streaming services, our lives are dominated by convenience.

Here at 3Squared, solving problems through technology is at the centre of everything we do. Since the very beginning, we have sought to create systems and use technology to push the rail industry forward and make a tangible difference to the lives of those who work on, use and supply the railway, day-to-day.

Why smart competency management systems matter

Before the advent of technology, it was standard practice for pen, paper, and spreadsheets to be at the core of business operations. However now it is a very different picture. For most, technology underpins how a business functions across all aspects of its operations. However, there are instances where archaic, legacy systems do still dominate, and the time is nigh to make the shift away from that.

When managing employee development, this change can be made through the adoption of smart competency management systems. In essence, they overhaul how operations are executed by digitising operations and the core business function of overseeing employee competency.

RailSmart EDS: Driving the rail industry forward

RailSmart EDS was borne from collaborating closely with those working in the rail industry and now some of the biggest rail supply chain companies use EDS to manage employee competency. EDS was built from an understanding of the daily challenge in assessing employee performance through the use of archaic and outdated systems and processes.  

Transforming a concept into a practical solution is quite challenging, yet RailSmart EDS excels at doing just that. Recognising the industry had a problem, the ground-breaking system was created to deliver a feasible and efficient technological solution, eradicating the need for paper-led and inaccessible systems. 

At its core, RailSmart EDS is software system that simplifies the process of capturing complex information and disseminating it accurately, thus modernising and digitalising processes, reducing unnecessary burdens on staff and enabling staff to focus on ensuring the safe and efficient management of supply chain operations.

Enhancing the rail network  

Many supply chain businesses are still using paper-based systems to assess employees and performance at work; systems and processes that are not suitable for the digital age and take up an unnecessary amount of manual administration and resource.  

EDS is a solution that helps reduce the administrative burden of compliance and improve the ways in which supply chain businesses could manage their competency data; removing the inefficiencies and challenges that can be inherent with legacy systems and providing a more efficient, digital, streamlined way of working. 

RailSmart’s EDS solution offers a diverse range of benefits to its users, including:  

  • Reduced costs of compliance. 
  • Proactive competency management for all safety critical employees.  
  • Better monitoring of training needs. 
  • Complete visibility of employees’ risk profile. 
  • Improved staff retention through clear training and professional development. 

Within the system, rail companies across the supply chain can also build a complete profile for all safety critical staff, identifying those that need the most support.

The software, which is accessible to all staff, allows employees’ competencies to be stored, regularly reviewed, and updated, as and when required. It also features a smart assessment planning tool for the management of pre and post qualified employee assessments. 

Discover the potential of smart competency management systems like RailSmart EDS in supporting the supply chain by accessing 3Squared’s informative guide here.