DIGITALIZATION IN RAILWAY TRANSPORT

Abstract

Traditional and long-standing transport organizations, such as railway companies, are not often perceived as synonymous with innovation and technology, but they are technology centers that can be the key to the digital transformation of the supply chain industry. Digitalization is a key concept that has changed the modern way of life. Digitalization has paved the way for more efficient operations and products for the transport industry as a whole. The railway is the basis of the entire transport complex of the Russian Federation and has great socio-economic, political and defense significance. In comparison with other modes of transport, rail transport is determined not only by the high value of the main economic indicators, but also by the volume of transport work performed, both in freight and passenger transportation. This article examines the prospect of digitalization in the railway industry, which in turn focuses on four areas: process optimization and automation, supplier management and cost optimization, personnel management and network strategy. Process optimization includes any process that can be automated and digitized. Some good examples are real-time fleet management and predictive maintenance planning. Supplier management and cost optimization include advanced cost analytics, category analysis, and comprehensive vendor search. Personnel management takes place in all directions, depending on how the workforce is managed, including forecasting demand for field workers, automated distribution of shifts and tasks for repair crews and digital solutions for productivity management. The network strategy focuses on advanced modeling and scheduling based on data.