Case Study · Public Transport
Nationwide resource planning at SBB
How Swiss Federal Railways phased out their Excel-based planning and established Visual Planning® as the company’s top in-house tool. According to a customer interview, the workload fell by up to 20 per cent in some areas; however, no independent measurement has been documented.
Short answer
What has SBB achieved with Visual Planning?
SBB introduced Visual Planning® as a joint solution for various planning areas. The software is used, amongst others, by dispatchers, staff deployment managers, the central construction vehicle planning department, the finance department, and the human resources and training departments. According to a customer interview, the workload involved in resource planning fell by up to 20 per cent in some areas. An independent measurement has not been documented.
01
Background: Excel reached its limits in multi-user operation
SBB’s previous planning solution was based on Excel. This did not allow for comprehensive and simultaneously accessible resource planning. Particularly in multi-user environments, the spreadsheet solution no longer functioned reliably and crashed repeatedly.
They were therefore looking for software that combines clarity, the ability to work simultaneously, ease of use and meaningful analyses. Without a suitable solution, the SBB stated that the lack of clarity in planning would have significantly impaired the service system.
02
Selection: Two years of evaluation and several pilot projects
SBB carried out extensive research and compared various planning solutions. This also involved pilot projects and practical trials. The entire software evaluation process took around two years.
The project team consisted of the project manager, his line manager and a supporting IT team. The evaluation involved, amongst others, an IT business analyst, an engineer and the IT department.
Visual Planning® impressed with its simple and clear resource planning, the ability for several people to work simultaneously, a familiar Office-style interface and drag-and-drop operation.
“The cost-benefit ratio when using Visual Planning® is unbeatable.”
03
Implementation: Operationally ready after nine months
Following the decision, Visual Planning® was implemented within nine months. In the first three months, the programme was set up technically. After a further six months, the solution was operational.
Advanced Solutions supported SBB during and after the implementation with in-depth training sessions. The consultancy, project support and user training were explicitly praised in the case study.
04
Application: From production planning to finance
Visual Planning® is used at SBB in various business areas. These include dispatchers operating throughout Switzerland, staff deployment management, central construction vehicle planning, the finance department, and the human resources and training department.
The drag-and-drop interface makes day-to-day planning easier. At the same time, SBB is making increasing use of the software’s reporting capabilities. The key performance indicators derived from this are incorporated into management decisions.
05
Benefits: Less coordination, fewer errors and a faster flow of information
Through collaborative visual planning, those involved can see what changes other users have made. This reduces the need for enquiries, clarifications and coordination.
According to SBB, this improved overview also reduces the likelihood of errors. Planning information can be communicated more quickly and used immediately to inform further decisions.
Within SBB, Visual Planning® was rated as a top tool at the time of the interview and regarded as an integral part of the planning process.
Verifiable results
Benefits at a glance
The documented increase in efficiency resulted from a better overview, less coordination effort, fewer planning errors and a faster flow of information. The time saving of up to 20 per cent was explicitly stated in the original source as a specific claim made by the interviewee. The measurement method, baseline figure, sample size and comparison period have not been published.
Source reference
Transparency regarding the information provided
The content is based on the SBB case study published by Advanced Solutions GmbH. The interviewee was Georges Lehmann, project manager at SBB. The interview took place on 3 July 2018. Company details, areas of application and results refer to the situation at that time.
The original source states that SBB has around 32,000 employees, a rail network of 3,200 kilometres, an annual procurement volume of 5 billion Swiss francs and 15,000 suppliers.
View original source as a PDFTest block
Verifiability of the case study
Period
Around two years of evaluation, nine months until operational deployment, in use since 2013 and a customer interview on 3 July 2018.
Product version and modules
The original publicly available source does not specify a particular product version or any specific licensed modules. Therefore, no modules are identified.
Areas of application
Scheduling, workforce management, centralised construction vehicle planning, finance, and human resources and training.
Methodological basis
An editorial summary of the published case study and the interview with Georges Lehmann featured therein. No independent time measurement or impact assessment has been carried out.
Result limits
The figure of up to 20 per cent is a specific statement made by the interviewee regarding the workload. The measurement method, baseline value, sample size and comparison period have not been published; the figure cannot be extrapolated to all areas.
Original source
Approval status
An original case study has been published. There is no record on the website of a separate, recent client approval for this editorially revised web version.
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