SBB Cargo International upscales its company management with the Board decision-making platform

Board International, the leading software provider of an all-in-one decision making platform that integrates Business Intelligence (BI), Performance Management, and Advanced Analytics, now welcomes SBB Cargo International to its customer base in Switzerland. The rail transport company – the market leader in cross-alpine traffic through Switzerland – has chosen the versatile cloud-based solution to master its growing volumes of data and significantly reduce the manual effort that goes into running the company.

Efficient and Accurate Data Management with a Central Datasource
“The volumes of data that we process on a daily basis are immense. They come not only from SAP and Zedas, which is a special ERP solution for logistics management in rail traffic, but also from the infrastructure operators that provide us with the tracks and the power we need. These data volumes contain information from the entire supply chain, including customer orders, staff salaries, performance data, locomotive outputs and timetable data from active trains, as well as invoicing data from the infrastructure operators,” explains Manuela Jucker, Controller at SBB Cargo International. “Until now, we managed all this in Excel by allocating different codes and feeding this information into the reporting and planning system. The amount of work was immense, with a huge error rate. With a professional BI solution, we are looking to make clear improvements in our efficiency and gain more in-depth insights by mapping the data better,“ adds Manuela.

After an extensive Proof of Concept process, the SBB Cargo subsidiary whittled the selection down to two final providers. “The workshop we had with Board was very intensive, creative, and the closing presentation completely won over our management board. Not only does Board have a broader functional scope in terms of commenting options and data entry, but it also comes with a comprehensive, high-performance database. The option for Controlling to transfer data directly and the data modeling features give it a significant edge over its competitors,“ says Manuela.

Developing and Enhancing the Cloud-Based BI Solution in Self-Service
Now well into the coaching process, SBB Cargo International is fully on board with the BI project, working with Board to create its first central datasource to sustain all its future reporting and planning processes. Ideally, the company would like the Board solution to incorporate all its data, even down to the individual fault management Excel worksheets required for reports and operational planning. “With the support of Board’s consultants, we will soon be ‘fluent’ in Board, especially in creating reports. We want to be in a position where our own Controlling team and Key Users in the specialist departments can develop our reporting and planning solution. This promises not only cost savings but most importantly a high level of agility in how we manage the company,“ explains Beat Grütter, Head of Finance & IT at SBB Cargo International. 

About SBB Cargo International AG

SBB Cargo International AG, headquartered in Olten, was founded as a public limited company in 2010. The share capital is held by SBB Cargo AG (75%) and Hupac AG (25%). The company offers combined train services and conventional scheduled freight trains along the North/South railway – mainly along Corridor A, between ports on the German North Sea coast and Northern Italy. SBB Cargo International stands for a clear focus on Europe’s North-South railway, streamlined structures, and market-centric quality. SBB Cargo International employs around 800 people in Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. With around 145 main-line engines, 60% of which are modern multi-system locomotives for cross-border use, the company achieved a transport capacity of 11,356 million net ton-kilometers and a turnover of around 328 million CHF in 2018. www.sbb.ch

About Board International 

Board is the #1 decision making platform for companies of all sizes. Since it was founded in 1994, Board International has supported over 3,000 companies around the world to run their Business Intelligence, Corporate Performance Management, and Advanced Analytics applications on a single programming-free platform. The Board platform gives companies a one-stop, accurate, and complete overview of company data with full performance monitoring across the entire organization, from strategizing to operative realization. The programming-free toolkit solution means international corporations such as Acer, Coca-Cola, Deutsche Bahn, KPMG, Mitsubishi, NEC, Siemens, ZF Friedrichshafen AG, and ZHdK can introduce an end-to-end decision making platform at a fraction of the cost associated with conventional tools. Headquartered in Chiasso, Switzerland, and Boston, USA, with 21 locations and a global reseller network, Board International has a truly global presence. Board is already implemented in over 100 countries. www.board.com