Bernd Rattey has been Group CIO and CDO of Deutsche Bahn (DB) since 2021, after being answerable for IT at subsidiary DB Fernverkehr AG for 5 years. And it was throughout that point he received to know the railways from a special enterprise space. In his eyes, your complete DB group works like a federal system, made up of enterprise models with their very own design aspirations.

“An estimated 15,000 to twenty,000 individuals work at Deutsche Bahn who spend their working hours on digital points,” he says. This contains, for instance, software program improvement and demand IT. However there are additionally staff in enterprise models who think about what processes ought to seem like, and which merchandise ought to be supplied digitally. “Enterprise IT, also known as shadow IT, continues to develop there,” he says.

On the demand IT facet, there are a number of tiers, in keeping with Rattey. Company IT is on the high, for which he’s accountable, and under are the rising enterprise areas, which, in flip, have their very own enterprise models for IT.

“The organizational answer at Deutsche Bahn can’t be to centralize all digital tasks,” he says. Because the enterprise processes are carefully interlinked with IT, the effectiveness of digital options within the enterprise areas is greater.

Prior to now, group IT used pointers and directions to inform the enterprise areas what to do. Rattey wished to alter that. “Throughout my time at DB Fernverkehr, I noticed this wasn’t at all times efficient,” he says. “And I didn’t lose this view in my new position. The CIOs of the enterprise areas are accountable for the IT of their enterprise, and the AG gives the framework.” With this new route, group IT sooner or later will solely be utilized to subjects that work higher throughout departments, versus particular person tasks within the enterprise areas.

By the federal system, DB has created many decentralized IT islands, like totally different programs for personnel planning within the enterprise areas. “I don’t assume we’ll change to a central answer as a result of the enterprise fashions, necessities, and tradition are too totally different,” he says. Nevertheless, what he needs to create are, amongst different issues, technical platforms. DB acted with reference to knowledge lakes a couple of years in the past and is growing IoT and AI purposes on this foundation.

Railway technique is IT technique

“I don’t have a traditional IT technique,” says Rattey. Nevertheless, that doesn’t imply IT colleagues work as they need. The “robust rail” technique, which additionally appears past the confines of DB to your complete railway sector in Germany, is decisive for the corporate’s IT objectives. The goal is to make the technique of transport extra engaging, and to shift visitors from street to rail. This contains, for instance, increasing routes, transporting extra items by rail, or extra carefully synchronizing long-distance visitors between main cities.

“None of this may be applied with out IT, so it performs a major position in reaching the general aim,” says Rattey. “That’s why our IT technique is precisely that.” The robust rail technique defines the duties and the portfolio of your complete IT of DB.

“For me, the IT portfolio for the following few years and the IT structure have taken the place that IT technique used to have,” he provides. This view doesn’t place IT exterior of the group, however relatively provides it central significance within the firm.

IT because the fifth useful resource

In accordance with Rattey, throughout the rail transport firms (Eisenbahnverkehrsunternehmen, or EVU), together with regional, cargo, and long-distance visitors, 4 assets should be managed: the trains, the routes used, the personnel on the trains, and the upkeep works. “An EVU should management and design this manufacturing cycle,” he says.

With IT, a fifth useful resource has now been added, as a result of the cycle now not works with out it. For him, IT isn’t about traditional administrative duties. Quite, it’s a part of the manufacturing system that ensures that the trains run.

Particular person enterprise areas throughout the federal railway IT system can now design sure features themselves. “It’s not my job as Group CIO to inform all of them the small print,” he says. “Nevertheless, there are points that we will solely do throughout the board.” For instance, DB Netz is accountable for the routes and the carriers for the automobiles. Nevertheless, as a result of many working processes run throughout a number of firms, IT should operate equally. “So it’s our job to carry these items to the group degree,” says Rattey. “On this manner, we be certain that such community processes work throughout the board.” To assist make such processes work, the railway IT makes use of a big SAP R/3 system in upkeep, which is managed comprehensively, together with the logistics to get elements. “We will solely generate a profit right here by trying on the general image,” he says.

The problem of punctuality

One other instance of complete IT revolves round punctuality. “A giant driver of it’s building work,” says Rattey. Building websites are managed by DB Netz, however the passenger experiences the results of this with transport firms comparable to DB Regio, long-distance transport, or an exterior EVU. “So as to keep away from delays, knowledge should movement comprehensively right here,” he says.

Making a deployment plan takes weeks, nonetheless, and if a building web site is introduced at too brief discover, the processes now not work. A alternative timetable must be drawn up, which will increase the chance of delays. That’s why DB measures punctuality in many various locations. Measuring factors are, for instance, the arrival on the platform, leaving the manufacturing facility, or the journey time to deployment. And this knowledge impacts a number of enterprise areas.

So Rattey’s group has developed an clever system for knowledge trade: the Consortium Occasion Dealer. Everybody concerned can entry the knowledge through cell units and see what they’ll do to affect the method. Administration makes use of the information to establish structural weaknesses. This could possibly be, for instance, too few tracks or an unfavorable timetable.

And within the rail system consortium, all gamers are bundled which might be essential to serve this manufacturing cycle. This contains varied enterprise areas and likewise transport firms that don’t belong to DB.

4 levers for extra environment friendly IT

“A couple of years in the past, the highest degree of rail IT established an organizational governance that attempted to explain issues with directions and pointers,” says Rattey. “But when these have been too detailed and rampant, not everybody would stick with them.” To counteract this, he now makes use of 4 levers. The primary is enterprise technique, described above.

The second lever is governance, which the CIO makes leaner. “We depend on a couple of guidelines that we dwell by collectively and persistently implement,” says Rattey. This turned obvious when the Log4j vulnerability turned identified in December 2021. “Since only one hole would have the ability to jeopardize your complete consortium, I had to make sure that all enterprise models acted rapidly,” Rattey says, recalling issuing the order that if all internet-facing programs weren’t patched inside 48 hours, everybody needed to go offline. “We managed that professionally with the CIOs and CISOs of the enterprise areas, and there wasn’t any objection from a bunch board of administrators,” he says. “Everybody went together with it. I’m a bit pleased with that.”

The third lever lies within the design and implementation. IT ought to change issues along with the enterprise. These embrace the Consortium Occasion Dealer or the AI ​​Manufacturing unit. 

The largest problem for Rattey, nonetheless, was the change to SAP S4/HANA. “At first, the undertaking was considered extra technically, however for me it’s enterprise transformation,” he says. It additionally wasn’t nearly a launch change, however reworking processes and designing them throughout the group.

The IT group tackled this undertaking in three blocks: the primary included finance, procurement and controlling; the second tackled car upkeep; and the third aimed toward managing technical programs, comparable to switches and sign packing containers. So as to change these processes, DB has to research all enterprise areas the place processes could be standardized and the way this may be solved with an SAP product.

That’s why tasks like this at all times have twin management at DB. On the one hand there’s an individual with an IT background for the technical undertaking administration. On the opposite, an worker who speaks the language of the enterprise is appointed because the enterprise proprietor for the useful undertaking administration. This individual ought to be assertive and perceive how enterprise processes work.

“It’s about creating one thing collectively as a substitute of working in opposition to one another,” says Rattey. Both the method must be tailored to the IT system or vice versa. “You at all times have to think about each and attempt for the most effective answer. We mirror that with the twin management.”

And with a purpose to finance overarching tasks, the pinnacle of IT has additionally modified the distribution of funds. “Final yr, within the early levels of finances planning, the board of administrators determined to order a sum of cash centrally as a substitute of allocating assets top-down by division,” says Rattey. So a pitch course of was arrange for this multi-million quantity, and every enterprise space can now apply with tasks that contribute to extra punctuality for the rail system consortium, and probably the most promising proposals are included within the portfolio.

Lastly, the fourth lever offers with IT providers. This contains, for instance, workplace communication utilizing Microsoft 365 or the cyber protection middle. “We will present these providers higher and extra professionally centrally,” Rattey says. “As well as, it’s extra environment friendly by way of prices and required assets.”

In accordance with him, nonetheless, the enterprise areas aren’t obliged to make use of these complete providers—aside from cybersecurity and options for the consortium. This freedom will increase acceptance. “It’s my duty to supply one thing the divisions are pleased to make use of, relatively than impose one thing,” he says. “We wish the enterprise models to come back to the group IT as a result of they imagine we will do one thing they’ll’t do with their very own capacities.” This aim was achieved, amongst different issues, via leaner governance. IT is now not an impediment that units numerous pointers, says Rattey. As a substitute, it’s perceived as an enabler. Plus, the pitch course of for IT budgets helps construct belief within the enterprise areas the place IT really solves enterprise issues.

Rattey additionally needs to alter processes on the CIO and CDO boards. He arranges the members of the committee in keeping with topic areas comparable to structure, portfolio, or safety, and every block is staffed by a twin management of the line-of-business CIO and somebody from Rattey’s core group. “I count on the 2 to behave as a group so IT and enterprise pull collectively as a substitute of elevating issues about one another,” he says.

Ultimately, nonetheless, digitization occurs throughout the board. “As IT, we mainly should construct buildings that assist our employees and our prospects,” Rattey says. “And we’ve got to present them a voice to search out out whether or not we’re profitable in doing so.”