Driving Competitive Advantage Through Analytics

By Mike Haggerty, Customer Program Manager for Descriptive Analytics, Wabtec

The Challenge

Let’s face it, dealing with data is complex and time-consuming. For railroads, the amount of data being collected can be overwhelming, and as a result, not fully utilized. Collecting and translating large volumes of data into useful information that drives real time business decisions is a daily struggle. Consumed by spreadsheets, limited access to information, and resource intensive processes, many railroads find the challenges of dealing with data to be an obstacle to effectively managing operations – putting them at a competitive disadvantage.

Solving Pain Points

Wabtec developed a unique digital tool to address these needs. RailConnect™ Advanced Analytics aggregates, correlates, and visualizes rail data into meaningful dashboards and views. It is designed to translate the plethora of railroad data into actionable intelligence for empowered decision making. It can transform how railroads operate – providing a powerful competitive advantage.

Solution Highlights

Revenue Management Advanced Analytics: Provides powerful, real-time business intelligence for the management and accounting of revenue & invoicing.

• Carload & Traffic Reporting
• Revenue Audit Tools
• Interline Accounting
• Switching & Incidentals
• Demurrage & Storage
• Budgeting & Forecasting
• Performance Management
• Cash Management
• Financial Views of Revenue
• Publications Management
• Month-End Accounting

Transportation Management Advanced Analytics: Delivers analytics and business tools designed to support & improve operational decision-making.

• Real-Time Operations Management
• Online Inventory
• Event Reporting
• Station, Track, Car Dwell
• Pipeline Management
• Velocity & Cycle Performance
• Train Management
• Automation Statistics
• Track/Yard Capacity
• Storage Tracking
• Maintenance & Repair

Car Management Advanced Analytics: Delivers comprehensive analytics & accounting tools designed to support & improve the management of car accounting.

• Car Hire Expense & Earnings
• Reclaim Audit
• Agreement Management
• RCH Reconciliation
• Rates Analysis Tools
• Budgeting & Forecasting
• Car Hire Scorecards & Alerts
• Fleet Management

What's New

New dashboard designs were just released for two of our most frequently used dashboards in Revenue Management Advanced Analytics – Switching & Incidentals and Demurrage & Storage. New features include:

• Enhanced user-experience with improved layout, organization, and design
• Demurrage & storage worksheets can be run at the same time
• Monthly Trend now displays in cross-table charts
• Excess Storage templates are located in the resource section of the dashboard
• Pre-invoicing audit tools have been added to the dashboards
• Screenshot example of the TMS worksheet for quick reference is located on the far right of the screen
• New search & filter options

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About the Author

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Mike Haggerty is Customer Program Manager for Descriptive Analytics at Wabtec. In this role, Mike is responsible for developing innovative analytics solutions designed to help customers increase efficiencies, improve accounting, & reduce costs. Mike has over 23 years of rail industry experience spanning Wabtec, GE Transportation, Dakota, Minnesota, & Eastern Railroad, and Canadian Pacific Railway. Mike earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration – Accounting and Finance – from the University of Montana and lives in Atlanta, GA. Mike [dot] Haggerty [at] Wabtec [dot] com