Friday 21 May 2021

Engineering and the Williams-Shapps Plan


Although it hasn't exactly happened the way it was planned, anyone who has been following the Williams Review has expected that major changes were coming in the way passenger rail is operated in Great Britain.

As was widely anticipated, the now-named Williams-Shapps Plan proposes a move toward Merseyrail-style concession contracts for operators, with a new independent "guiding mind" for the rail network.  Great British Railways (GBR) will take over many of the functions of Network Rail, the Rail Delivery Group and the Department for Transport, as well as assuming financial risk from the operators, taking the lead on an overall coordinated strategy and contracting operators directly against performance targets for efficiency and passenger service.

Most rail engineering work assumes decades-long life cycles for the assets it produces and maintains, and the ability of engineering to respond directly to the present crisis in the rail industry is of course limited.  But the structural changes we are seeing in the industry now, or something like them, are going to persist for decades to come.  Engineering, like every other aspect of the rail industry, is going to have to account for this new reality in planning its way out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The impact of a change in the passenger-facing operating model might seem to have only rather abstract implications for engineering, but as the stakeholders change, so too will the requirements.  Future rail engineering will have to adapt to a different set of priorities, both with respect to the greater degree of central coordination applied to the rail network, and with respect to the changed incentive structure of the operating companies.

Rail engineering has been dealing with increasing system complexity for some time, from projects like the Digital Railway, as well as greater pressure from stakeholders on safety, accessibility, and decarbonisation.  But with this faster-than-expected transition to greater central coordination for the network, these pressures for greater complexity will both accelerate and change in character.

Rail systems will need to collaborate better, as rail strategy becomes directed from the centre and more focused on the integrated performance of the network as a whole.  And even insofar as parts of the rail network can be treated as independent systems, more direct incentives on operators to improve efficiency and passenger service will doubtless also translate into more demanding requirements for engineers.

Systems engineering has already become an important tool for certain parts of the Great British (GB) rail network and has, in the last decade, been fully embraced by infrastructure owners like Network Rail and Transport for London (TfL) as a critical component of the sophisticated engineering necessary to deliver a more complex, interconnected, and digital rail system.  Even before these major structural changes to the industry, rail suppliers were starting to wake up to the idea that participating in systems engineering processes with those major contractors could help them work more closely with their stakeholders and deliver better, more complex systems, that integrate more closely with the broader understanding of the network and its systems.

With this accelerated transition to requirements being driven from the centre, suppliers will accordingly need to step-up their transition to a more integrated approach to engineering.  Systems engineering techniques are fundamentally about finding ways to analyse, model and plan the behaviour of a system as a whole and in its context, above and beyond the details of individual components.  By having a suite of processes and tools designed to model and anticipate the structure of a system, projects can have assurance from the start that the right asset is being built in the right way, and that the project will interact appropriately with its context.

Systems engineering has developed a wide range of processes and tools for modelling and simulation, requirements analysis, scheduling, and all parts of the life cycle, tailored to better manage the development of complex systems.  In particular, systems engineering takes a robust and scientific approach to requirements management that cleanly and specifically identifies ambiguities and gaps in stated stakeholder needs.

The requirements that result are – among other benefits – clear, verifiable, functional, minimal and consistent.  And, critically, they are managed using tools which can integrate those requirements across every part of the network, with seamless supplier collaboration and the ability to see in requirements and models, how any given system is expected to interface with the network around it.

As the rail operating model changes, more requirements will be ultimately derived from the central coordinating body, and more of what is expected of rail systems will require seamless, integrated coordination with the network around it. Stepping up progress toward systems engineering use could be the right way to engineer the railway out of this crisis, and beyond, to the challenges of the future.

To read more about the Williams-Shapps review, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/the-williams-rail-review

If you have found this article useful, and would like to hear more about how your organisation may use systems engineering to better embrace change, visit www.synthesys-technologies.co.uk or contact us on cet@synthesys.co.uk


Thursday 13 May 2021

MIDS Link 16 Online Course Open for Registration

 


Link 16 is the standard by which other systems are measured when transmitting and receiving real-time tactical data using links between network participants.  In fact, Link 16 has been credited as the key factor for saving lives in multiple theatres of operations due to the secure, increased situational awareness the system provides.  Training is now more relevant than ever to ensure you keep abreast of technological enhancements in Tactical Data Links.  In terms of maintaining and maximising awareness during software and hardware updates, it is crucial that personnel have a strong knowledge of Link 16 at both an operational and technical level.

If you are currently involved in the implementation, upgrade, management or extension of Link 16, our Introduction to Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Link 16 online training will assist you within your role.  The course will run between 5th and 8th July 2021 and covers both technical and operational employment of MIDS Link 16 and aims to give a balanced understanding of technical and operational characteristics.

Our proven online course delivery offers a flexible and cost-effective way of upskilling yourself or members of your team.  Pricing information for these courses is available on application; please contact us via: training@synthesys.co.uk

For more general information including lesson breakdown, benefit of attending and our approach to online training, please visit: http://www.synthesys-defence.co.uk/online-training.html

Tuesday 11 May 2021

New Technology Partner: Creating Unique Value through a Collaboration with Software Development Company, BoostHigh

 


In an exciting time of change and growth, we are pleased to announce our latest strategic alliance with Poland-based software development company, BoostHigh.

Recently voted as the top software development provider in Poland*, BoostHigh are software competencies providers specialising in the delivery of web-based commercial and industrial systems and applications.  Composed of experienced developers, the team is proficient in implementing: systems; web applications and dedicated software; C++ (Qt) software for hardware platforms; Internet of Things (IoT) networks and devices; API and system integrations.

SyntheSys’ Managing Director, John Hartas commented:

“Throughout our 33 years of trading we have always viewed commercial partnerships as an important element of delivering value to customers through an adaptable and flexible portfolio of services.  BoostHigh bring a high-level of expertise to our already established software development capability.  I feel positive that this collaboration will enable us to reach new customers with high-value services in both the UK and wider geographical regions and I very much look forward to working with the BoostHigh team’’

Pawel Czerniewski added to the sentiment by saying:

“At BoostHigh, we see great value in strategic cooperation.  I am very pleased that BoostHigh is entering into a partnership with SyntheSys, adding our software development capabilities to their already impressive portfolio of services.  We are looking forward to new challenges and exciting projects.  As digitisation across industries keeps gaining momentum, joining forces to deliver top quality digital services will bring great value to our UK and EU clients.”

To read more about SyntheSys, visit www.synthesys.co.uk 

To read more about BoostHigh, visit https://boosthigh.com/

*As voted by Clutch.co in 2019