One of the most promising aspects of the rail industry’s digital transformation is predictive maintenance – using data collected on equipment during operation to identify maintenance issues in real time. This means repairs can be properly planned, with the benefits that trains don’t need to be unexpectedly taken out of service for emergency or unnecessary routine maintenance.
There is a lot of hype around this topic and several failed cases. The explosion of IoT sensors and platforms – some overpromising what they can achieve – has created a belief that simply plugging in a few devices will give you all the data you need. A number of poorly planned investments have become costly and fallen short of the expected business transformation.
This should sound a note of caution about buying into hype, but it doesn’t mean predictive maintenance is out of reach. The benefits are there, but they need proper planning and management. As with any promised revolution, there is no magic bullet.