Keolis enhances its information assets with Inetum

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Creation date : Thu, 03/21/2024 - 17:38

Public transport specialist Keolis has teamed up with Inetum to develop a datavisualization tool. Speed, safety, itinerary... all the data associated with driving buses and coaches are examined in detail. Eventually, this project will be extended to all its drivers. Here's how it works.

A pioneer in the development of public transport for local authorities, Keolis has set itself the challenge of reinforcing its IT systems to increase drivers and passengers’ safety. In this context, the group wanted to accelerate using BI among its employees, who are not data experts. "We wanted to add a new component to data-visualization, to provide indicators that could be used, not by our own data experts, but by everyday users, with an ergonomic interface," explains Pierre Lagarde, B2C and Data Products Director at Keolis' IT Department. In concrete terms, the idea was to make performance indicators easily accessible to drivers and their managers on a range of subjects such as on-time performance, driving quality (eco-driving) and training follow-up.

Data visualization to simplify managerial communication

In 2023, the public transport group turned to the Data and UX experts at Inetum, a leader in digital services and solutions, to build a dashboard using Microsoft Power BI©. The aim was to graphically present data, dispersed across different departments and tools, to drivers and their managers, to facilitate their exchanges based on concrete information. "The idea is really to simplify work and managerial communication," emphasizes Romain Lhuillier, Manager Innovation and Real-Time / eco-driving expert for the Group's Operations Division. "With immediate access to information, whether in the office, or on the move, the driver and manager can directly address prevailing issues, share positive points, as well as areas for improvement."

This near-real-time information sharing, "simply saves time for end users." The manager can concentrate on value-added tasks, relying on reliable data, without having to collect and summarize information manually. For their part, drivers can access data before it is presented to them by their manager, enabling them to better prepared. "It's a form of self-improvement," says Romain Lhuillier.

A PoC validated by end-users

To develop the datavisualization tool, Inetum set up/deployed a functional PoC (Proof of Concept) previously carried out within a Keolis subsidiary. "We wanted to develop a tool that would be directly useful for drivers, and easy to use. What were we expecting from Inetum? That the company would support this PoC and validate it with end-users in order to launch its industrialization," explains Romain Lhuillier. Inetum's teams carried out a series of focus groups with the populations concerned, developed new visual interfaces and challenged Keolis' vision, with the ultimate aim of proposing an effective, easy-to-use tool. According to Keolis managers, the solution delivered by the end of 2023 has been widely accepted by the 700, or so drivers involved in the PoC. This success paves the way for wider deployment of the datavisualization tool among the Group's subsidiaries. "We have a strong ambition to deploy this solution, because it meets the expectations of our customers / local authorities in terms of management and performance of transport networks," confides Pierre Lagarde.

Keolis particularly appreciated its partner's ability to combine data BI skills with UX methods. "The work carried out by Inetum is really interesting in its ability to offer a viewpoint that is a little different from that of IT and business experts," says Pierre Lagarde. This vision is "essential for our projects, where we want UX to support strategies to enhance the value of the Group's data."