Everything around us is data. We encounter data in every element of our lives. From doing our weekly shop, to paying the bills, to monitoring our sleep, data is around us every second of the day. On the face of it, rail technology and its associated data may appear to be distinctly different. However, within the bare constructs, it underpins a huge part of our life in getting us safely and seamlessly from A to B. Something, which, when you pause to think about, you might not have considered before.
Experiencing rail in my previous role marked an exciting turning point in my career. The intricacies of the data, the innovative projects and the people that make up the industry, really drew me in and led to me joining 3Squared in April earlier this year. The industry has huge swathes of data to unpick, and we can use this to obtain insights that are beneficial and can truly transform the rail sector. A fantastic example of this can be found in the industry’s reporting, evolving from being paper led into digital. This has been a huge industry undertaking, with an incredible amount of documentation and information to translate and talented minds coming together to provide solutions.
Working with the technical and non-technical team at 3Squared, we use this rich information to develop processes and roadmaps, to help the team to deliver high quality products and services to a market-leading standard. We work collaboratively with our customers to solve challenges and create solutions, taking them on a journey to show them the possibilities that data and technological solutions can provide.
A significant challenge that we often encounter is how to use data streams, unpick the information that is collated, and then how to translate it to create a great product. When developing apps that can have a complex architecture, understanding the system design and data flow helps us to overcome these complex problems.
We are constantly evolving and learning, developing apps that aim to streamline the customer journey; every day there is something new to learn thanks to the advances we have made in technology.
Looking ahead, I look forward to being part of an industry that will continue to use data in increasingly exciting and innovative ways. For example, how far can we leverage the use of GPS transmitters? They have already made waves in terms of better managing train delays and keeping passengers informed. They harbour such rich potential for the industry – it will be exciting to see how they can be harnessed further. We truly can-do wonders with future digitisation and data.
To me, gender does not play a part when working in the rail industry. If you are technically minded enough and love a challenge, then it is the place for you. It is a collaborative and welcoming industry, with a thirst for the future and making a positive change. So, if you are looking to make that leap, then I would say – jump in!
To find out more information about how you can join the 3Squared team, please visit us here.