Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialised by industry, announced that South Western Railway, part of FirstGroup-MTR a leading transport operator in the UK, has selected Infor Enterprise Asset Management (EAM). The solution is part of a project designed to consolidate and modernise maintenance processes at the train company, and support compliance with ISO 55001. Fully implemented, serviced, and hosted by Infor partner Sapphire Systems, the solution is expected to go live for 200 users.
Operating more than 1,800 services each weekday to over 200 stations across the South and South West of England, maintenance is crucial to the smooth running of South Western Railway’s services. As part of an initiative to increase control, visibility, and compliance of its rolling stock, the rail operator selected Infor EAM from a shortlist consisting of Infor and SAP. The decision to choose Infor EAM was based on the look and feel, flexibility and agility of the system, and endorsements from other companies within FirstGroup. Sapphire Systems was selected as the implementation and ongoing support partner,based on its in-depth expertise within the transportation sector.
Infor’s best-in-class asset management software is expected to expedite and enhance decision-making at the rail provider by allowing asset defects to be instantly logged via tablets, and the relevant engineers to be dispatched efficiently. Through having all data in one place, managers can plan and allocate resources appropriately to increase the availability of services, while ensuring compliance with ISO 55001.
“Infor EAM will allow us to view everything in one place, driving greater efficiency and the agility to react and rectify defects quickly,” comments Adam Carter, head of continuous improvement, South Western Railway. “The user friendliness of Infor EAM, combined with Sapphire’s in-depth knowledge, has resulted in a faster roll-out, allowing us to utilise the benefits of the system much quicker.”
“In the transportation industry, standards are everything, and having a system that facilitates both ISO 55001 and maximising availability for the smooth running of the fleet is paramount to success,” comments Kevin Price, Infor EAM technical product evangelist. “Having the visibility not only to plan maintenance and manage warranties effectively, but to detect and rectify defects as they are spotted, is only possible by having the best EAM systems. Through its deployment of Infor EAM, South Western Railway is amongst those leading best practice.”
“As the transportation sector evolves and matures, we are seeing increased demand for solutions that help to drive greater visibility, proactivity, and productivity across substantial asset bases,” comments Ian Caswell, CEO of Sapphire Systems. “Infor and Sapphire’s combined experience and expertise in this field represents an extremely compelling proposition for transport organisations looking to enhance their asset management, and allows them to take advantage of reduced TCO and risk via our hosted service, Sapphire Anywhere.”
