Travel Plans
As the use of public transport increases, IT will play a vital role in keeping the system going. Simon MacWhirter, transport account director at consultant Capgemini comments on investment in specialised IT systems and safety considerations, as well as providing customers with real-time information.
21 June 2007
Publication
“The Department for Transport set up a Transport Innovation Fund in 2004, with the aim of making a £200m yearly pot available to local councils for anti-congestion projects. So far, nine authorities have agreed to introduce pilots by 2009.
Simon MacWhirter, transport account director at consultant Capgemini, says after a long time, people are starting to understand that if they want good quality services, they have to pay for them.
“Another key consideration is safety, which is a very emotive subject in transport,” he says. “New technologies such as CCTV, GPS and Bluetooth are starting to change agendas, however, and allow organisations to do things that weren’t possible in the past.”
And it is in the area of more specialised IT systems that the bulk of transport expenditure appears to be going.”
What the experts say about IT in transport
“There is a growing focus on better control of information with regard to asset
management. While many firms have had ERP systems in place for some time to manage
back-office finance and procurement, there’s now a focus on linking this to front
office CRM systems. Providing maintenance engineers in the field with mobile devices
for an integrated flow of information is also a priority.” Simon MacWhirter, transport account director, Capgemini
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