A strong and sustainable rail for Europe
Background
Deutsche Bahn (DB) Group is one of the world’s leading mobility and logistics companies, employing over 300,000 people. Through the integrated operation of transport and rail infrastructure and the economically and ecologically intelligent linking of all forms of transport, the Group connects people and goods within and around Germany. DB perceives its greatest responsibility to ensure mobility and
the logistical supply of the population and the economy. This with the intent to establish itself as a role model and pioneer in Europe in terms of occupation, climate protection, economic growth, and social prosperity. To achieve these goals, DB invests in promising and sustainable ecosystems and continues to build and enhance a stable rail system every day.
Challenge
As one of the largest employers and training providers in Germany, DB must stay ahead of the latest and most innovative technological developments and ensure that employees are taken along on the digitalization journey. In addition to this, they are facing ambitious goals, such as increasing rail capacity and service quality, reducing CO2 emissions, and promoting diversity within the company. Digitalization already plays an essential role in achieving these goals. For example, in cooperation with the German Railway Industry Association, seven regional railway lines are being equipped with digital interlocking technology. This new technology will replace conventional systems of different designs. By 2035 – five years earlier than previously planned – digital technologies are to be fully rolled out in Germany and make climate-friendly railways more efficient. The people behind DB must also be taken along and empowered on this journey.
“We were impressed by the possibility of individually customizing and adapting the course to the needs of Deutsche Bahn. The program enabled us to create a broad understanding of the digitalization challenge in our industry and it made the relevance of data tangible. During our training initiative, we received many exciting use cases for the application and implementation of AI and automation from our employees through the integrated idea generation tool”
Manuel Gerres, former Head of Digital Ecosystem Management & Technology Partnerships, Deutsche Bahn AG
Solution
With the help of the AI Business School, DB empowers its employees in the area of digitalization, data, and AI. With the mobility-specific introductory course, topics such as “Mobility as a Service”, sensor technology, and smart cities were set as impulses. To push the participants’ interest and promote the transfer thinking, the course was not only about pure knowledge dissemination but also about collecting ideas and use cases of AI and data usage in the direct rail and logistics context focusing on increased customer satisfaction and sustainability.
Outcome
From this outcome- and impact-focused approach, DB received a broad set of future-oriented ideas to increase customer benefits, for example, through sustainability trackers, seat-specific capacity utilization control, efficiency savings through predictions of outages, or the support of customers in booking processes through image and voice recognition. “Moreover, we achieved completion rates
of 88% in the team”, said Manuel Gerres and adds “Through the practical and direct application of what was learned, the acquired knowledge could be internalized and consolidated. The interactive idea generation tool in combination with the online courses was perceived as significantly more
effective than conventional training initiatives”. To convert the ideas into practice, the next step was to conduct internal workshops to refine the concepts around data usage and AI. Through the collaboration with AI Business School, DB also
has unlimited access to leading experts and practitioners to support them with experiences and best practices as they continue their digital journey.
Manuel Gerres, former Head of Digital Ecosystem Management & Technology Partnerships, Deutsche Bahn AG