"Insights shown by this tool can mean so much for your company"

Complex regulations and an aging workforce led Infrabel, the owner and overseer of Belgium’s rail infrastructure, to look for a new planning and scheduling solution. The optimal scheduling and assignment of personnel was a vital necessity which could not be attained using the company’s former tools and process. Infrabel chose to implement ORTEC Workforce Scheduling and was able to allocate the workload more evenly for over 3,500 traffic control employees stationed in signaling boxes and traffic control centers.

Challenges in the World of Infrabel

  • The schedule of 3,500 employees stationed in 340 signalling boxes was drawn up by hand by 52 planners working from 13 locations. This situation was no longer tenable, as complex labor regulations inevitably caused mistakes resulting in sub-optimal planning.
  • 60% of the company’s personnel will reach retirement age in the next ten years and will leave the company in the near future. Planners had to form blended teams in order to ensure that the knowledge and experience at each work location could be shared.
  • All of the relevant knowledge was stored in planners’ heads. A tool was needed to keep schedules more accessible, clear and manageable for everyone.
  • A number of complex health and safety regulations must be taken into consideration when drawing up schedules.
  • Social requirements stipulate that the workload has to be evenly distributed over all employees. Infrabel also wanted to introduce the principle of "healthy scheduling – healthy employees."

The Solution

ORTEC Workforce Scheduling

The Results

  • Optimal distribution of the work load
  • Less scheduling errors
  • Better implementation and monitoring of the complex HR regulations
  • More efficient scheduling process
  • Increased productivity
  • Increased customer and stakeholder satisfaction
  • Improved insight into the schedule
  • Ability to track who attended which training courses and when
  • Policy making is supported by improved access to information
  • Balanced teams of experienced and less experienced employees

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