Smartphone App Empowers the Most Mobile Workers of All

SIRIUS helps the railway improve operational excellence, agility, security and human resources management. It is the largest enterprise mobile workforce project in France to use only commercially available mobile devices.

Replacing paper-based processes

SNCF is one of the world’s largest rail operators, running more than 15,000 trains over nearly 20,000 miles of track. No fewer than 16,000 train drivers are employed by SNCF to operate both passenger and freight trains in urban and rural settings.

Before and after missions, SNCF drivers needed to fill out cumbersome reports in a matter of minutes, so they wanted a mobile solution that was fast, efficient and compliant with safety regulations.

“They imagined a tool that would improve their work environment and were highly involved in its definition and implementation, with more than 400 drivers participating, from the first steps to the beginning of the rollout phase,” says Jean-Aimé Mougenot, former director of the SNCF train drivers’ human resources department.

Among the benefits SIRIUS brings to the railway are reductions in menial tasks and errors, improved distribution of route planning, and electronic processing of daily reports. SNCF has also reduced environmental impacts with less paper consumption since the solution was deployed.

CSC helped SNCF on every step of the project, from early business planning through the rollout, both in business consulting and technical issues. The CSC team’s role was to define, design and implement the solution, which is built around a Windows mobile HTC Touch HD smartphone kit, with a rough casting design to fit the train driver’s requirements exactly.

Improving train travel in France

CSC spearheaded the integration and rollout of the mobile solution, which included business change management, operational follow-up, backup scenarios analysis and developing a 24x7 help desk solution. With the new system, train drivers use custom-built smartphones to access trip-preparation information, such as a scrolling timetable.

Drivers can also track their train’s progress using GPS technology and tap into initially completed mission reports, which they can modify and file at the end of their journey.

Drivers have also tested an enterprise social network, now scheduled for full rollout. “This solution takes us a major step forward in modernizing the train drivers’ activities, enabling them to better achieve operational excellence in what is becoming a more competitive and challenging environment for SNCF, all the while contributing to sustainable development,” says Mougenot.

With the improved operational excellence, agility, security and human resources management, SNCF considers this solution a strategic differentiator from its partners and competitors looming on the horizon.

The SIRIUS project received the 2012 CSC Award for Excellence, recognizing team members Cécile Anglada, Jérémy Goldschmidt, Christophe Lienhard and Olivier Seka.