Elly Yates-Roberts |
London Midland has invested in Microsoft Office 365 and Surface Hub to streamline its operations and allow its technicians to stay connected, share information and ensure trains run on time.
For example, in the event of a train requiring repair, employees can communicate with colleagues and refer to training materials when and where they need to.
“London Midland trains are an important part of our customers’ everyday lives,” said Kirk Trewin, head of fleet production at London Midland, in a recent Office 365 blog post. “Passengers rely on our service for their essential journeys; ensuring our trains run on time means we keep our passengers’ days running smoothly. This commitment to great service led us to invest in Office 365 and Surface Hub. We’re using this technology to keep our digital transformation on track – helping to empower employees to reduce downtime, connect better with customers and ensure safe and reliable operations.”
Firstline workers can also use Skype for Business to stay connected with colleagues based at head office and share videos and photographs from the site. Trewin outlines an example of a technician identifying corrosion on a unit. Using Skype for Business they can easily consult with coworkers, using video to come to a solution. This is far simpler than in the past, when the laborious process of gathering evidence, creating reports and presenting evidence could take days.
“We were searching for technology that made life easier for technicians, who represent a valuable segment of our Firstline Workforce,” added Trewin. “We’ve introduced Surface Hubs to streamline their access to available, consistent training materials. It’s been a huge success; technicians can refresh their knowledge or consult a training video instead of flipping through a 2,000-page manual or waiting to consult another busy colleague.”
Trewin says that Midland London is also using Surface Hubs and Power BI to drive key performance indicators, so that its engineers can track a particular class of vehicle to see how it performs in the field. “We have always stored a huge amount of data in charts and reports, but with information displayed in user-friendly dashboards on Surface Hub, we gain new insight into our operations and can improve performance indicators, such as miles per technical incident, by making faster, more informed decisions,” he explains.
Trewin believes that, as a result of the implementation, the company is better equipped to streamline every aspect of its service. “As we strive to make our fleet the most reliable in the country, we’re using modern, digital tools to work more effectively toward ensuring a safe, efficient service for our customers,” he concludes.