Increase efficiency. Shaping success.

INIT presents IT solutions for increasing operational efficiency at IT-TRANS

At IT-TRANS, which takes place at Messe Karlsruhe from May 14 to 16, 2024, INIT, the world's leading provider of integrated IT solutions for public transport, will be presenting the further development of its modular planning, scheduling, telematics and ticketing system MOBILE at stand 1F5. The focus is on solutions that enable transport companies to increase their operational efficiency, automate processes and thus reduce the workload of their employees. As a result, the financial leeway required for a further increase in service quality can be created.

Software-as-a-Service solution enables efficient ticket sales

TaaS, INIT's SaaS-based sales channel, makes ticketing easy - for passengers and transport companies. In future, passengers will be able to purchase tickets simply by holding their debit or credit card or even their smartphone up to a ticket terminal when boarding and alighting (check-in/check-out). In return, their travel authorization is also booked contactlessly using the EMV procedure (public transport application of the credit card manufacturers). The INIT background system ensures that you always benefit from the best possible fare on offer. This eliminates the need for passengers to familiarize themselves with the transport company's fare system - previously one of the biggest hurdles for occasional passengers, tourists and business travellers. What's more, customers simply use the means of payment they already have with them and do not have to register.

Transport companies can quickly introduce the solution hosted by INIT in the cloud. All they have to do is enter the fares they want to offer via this sales channel using a browser application, which also gives them access to their sales and turnover figures at any time. The platform handles all payment transactions without any further intervention.

Transport companies can also offer the software-as-a-service solution as part of a target group-oriented multi-channel strategy to complement an existing ticketing system, thereby reducing cash handling and increasing the efficiency of their sales.

Assistance systems, like the automation of processes, are extremely suitable for increasing work efficiency. RESPONSEassist, the automated incident management and multi-channel information system from INIT, makes use of both methods: passenger information is automatically generated on the basis of predefined texts and can be distributed to all passenger information channels with a single click. The formats of the information are adapted for the different channels. This allows control center personnel to concentrate more on their core competence - incident management. RESPONSEassist also provides a completely new level of support here: incidents can be resolved much more efficiently than with conventional methods using instructions stored in forms. The operating documentation is automatically created at the same time.

Gaining leeway by concentrating on core competencies

Transport companies rely on complex IT systems that work around the clock and must always be up to date. This requires a lot of work, which does not necessarily have to be carried out by the company's own employees. This is why INIT supports them with external experts who always maintain an overview of the company's IT systems, intervene where necessary to ensure system availability and advise on possible efficiency improvements. These support options are divided into various service offerings in the areas of monitoring, maintenance, system management and IT, change management and administration. In the area of administration, INIT also takes care of data maintenance or manages tariff data and devices, for example. Numerous transport companies worldwide are already benefiting from INIT's operational services - and can concentrate on their core business.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are important pillars of innovation for INIT systems. INIT's solution for passenger guidance and occupancy management, MOBILEguide, also benefits from this. In a patented process, the system not only takes into account the current occupancy of the vehicles, but also the passengers expected to alight at the respective stops. This creates a reliability of information that previous solutions could not provide. Passengers can thus choose connections with the lowest possible occupancy rate. In addition, the same information can be processed for specific carriages and used in rail systems to ensure a better distribution of passengers to the individual carriage and platform areas. Passengers can then wait where seats are expected to be free. As a result, boarding and alighting times can be significantly reduced. The existing infrastructure can be used more efficiently thanks to more frequent services.

Introduce and use e-buses efficiently

The switch to electromobility represents a fundamental change in technology that must first be fully understood. Even before the first e-buses are purchased, various deployment scenarios should therefore be simulated and the effects on investments, operating costs and operations examined. Only in this way can investments and operating resources be used with maximum efficiency. This is made possible by the simulation module of the eMOBILE-PLAN planning solution. It allows the most suitable charging concept for the transport company to be determined in advance and suitable routes for the use of e-buses to be identified. And even in the introductory phase, when no practical experience is yet available, the simulation provides further important findings to minimize risks and use the existing e-buses as efficiently as possible. eMOBILE-PLAN is part of the comprehensive eMOBILE product suite. This also includes the extension of the Intermodal Transport Control System eMOBILE-ITCS, which, together with the range forecast MOBILErange, enables precise knowledge and monitoring of the charging status and remaining range, as well as the depot management system eMOBILEDMS, which ensures optimized provision of the e-buses and cost-efficient charging processes, and the charging management system MOBILEcharge, which enables and implements load- and cost-optimized charging strategies.

IT support at a new level

The Deutschlandticket and other savings offers have made public transport more attractive in terms of price. However, the financing of usage incentives is leading to a shortage of funds for investment in service quality - which remains a key reason for switching to buses and trains. It is good that this challenge can be overcome with technological support - for example, with the automation of tasks and processes, with assistance systems that make work easier for employees, or with solutions that make optimum use of the existing infrastructure and available capacities. INIT uses these technologies to help transport companies gain room for maneuver by increasing their operational efficiency so that they can continue to improve service quality.

Visitors to the INIT stand 1F5 can find out all about it.

Captions:

• 1) With RESPONSEassist, all passenger information channels can be operated quickly and uniformly with a single click. In addition, the integrated assistance system enables dispatchers to process disruptions more quickly. (© INIT)
• 2) TaaS enables access to public transportation with the help of bank and credit cards, even for occasional riders who do not want to deal with the fare system.
• 3) How full is the bus or train I want to take? With MOBILEguide, passengers will receive reliable answers to this question in future.(© iStock / INIT)

As the world's leading provider of integrated planning, scheduling, telematics and ticketing solutions for buses and trains, INIT has been helping transportation companies to make public transport more attractive, efficient and effective for more than 40 years. More than 1,100 transport companies worldwide now rely on our innovative hardware and software solutions.

The competitive advantage of our modular MOBILE telematics system is that it covers all the tasks of the transport company:

• Planning & scheduling
• Ticketing & fare management
• Operations control & passenger information
• Analysis & optimization

With the integrated INIT solutions, transport companies can also master all the requirements of electromobility and strengthen their role as a central mobility provider in the region by setting up a mobility platform. An excellent package of operational services rounds off the INIT offering.

For further information or images, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Andrea Mohr-Braun

init SE

Kaeppelestrasse 4-10

76131 Karlsruhe - Germany

Phone +49.721.6100.113

mailto:amohr-braun@initse.com

www.initse.com