SBB Centralizes Telecommunications Network and Cable Infrastructure with FNT Command

When the lifecycle of the existing cable management tool came to an end in 2018, SBB needed to find a new system that met several requirements. It was important that the new solution could handle the increasing demands placed on infrastructure operation due to new services and heavier use of the network. It was also critical that the new software seamlessly integrate into the SBB Operations Support System (OSS) environment. The final requirement was direct, end-to-end connectivity to surrounding systems via interfaces – quite a challenge, given the complexity of the existing network.

A state-of-the-art software solution and a skilled service partner were needed to handle this mammoth task. That partner would have to meet several stringent demands, from implementation of the cable management software through the migration phase, to maintenance over an eight-year service life. "We had a very clear objective. By integrating cable management software across the board, we wanted to break down the existing silo solution and ensure end-to-end data consistency," explains Silvan Wigger, Project Manager Telecom at SBB.

Another key objective was that the new system should help drive the Swiss rail company’s digitalization strategy. As they already had high quality data, migrating it from the old system to the new one was imperative. Reducing the lifecycle costs of operating the cable management software was a further aim. The SBB telecom team therefore preferred an off-the-shelf solution. Importantly, the software needed to accommodate SBB’s increasing data volume, which typically grows by an average of ten percent a year.

The telecom team within the Infrastructure division launched a call for tenders to evaluate potential project partners. The requirements were clearly defined: the new solution had to cover the full functionality of the existing system, be able to work with data from third-party systems, and enable easy, flexible connection to surrounding systems via a range of interfaces. All this needed to be delivered in a single, end-to-end package that spanned provision and integration of the cable management software, maintenance, support, and continuous development throughout the entire planned eight-year service life.

FNT met all the requirements and won the tender. Through a points-based assessment of various solutions, FNT received the highest overall score in all areas that were evaluated: quality of service, price, investment protection, return on investment, sustainability, to name a few. SBB was also impressed by FNT’s thorough proof of concept (PoC), which demonstrated FNT’s ability to address SBB’s specific needs, for the most part out of the box. The PoC also drove home the necessity of well-maintained data for a high-performance and stable telecommunications network.

FNT was awarded the contract for the entire program: provision, implementation, and integration of the cable management software; ongoing migration of data; and system maintenance and support. The cloud-based FNT Command Platform enables documentation of all the copper and fiber-optic cables that run along the railway tracks in concrete ducts. These cables have a total length of 68,000 kilometers – the equivalent of more than one and a half times around the world. The technical plant rooms and logical network elements, such as backbone nodes, are also documented.

This offers SBB a range of benefits, including the ability to realistically simulate the failure of devices, fibers, routes, and cables. Accordingly, SBB is better able to plan redundant capacity, can optimize availability, and deliver greater rail safety. Another benefit is improved planning of maintenance work, which reduces disruption to a minimum. "Plannability was a key criterion for cable documentation and the inventory system. Any interruption of operation must take place within a short window that is available once a week. This minimizes the negative impact of downtime. FNT Command offers exactly the right tools and functions to optimize this planning process," says Silvan Wigger.

As a key benefit, FNT Command provides transparent visualization of data, complex logic, and dependencies. Data centers, for example, can be viewed graphically, which offers better insight into specific details. It is even possible to display cabinets at different locations in a shared window. These views enable a high level of flexibility and precision in workflows. At SBB, some 80 users benefit from maximum transparency and faster processes. Technicians can view the current status at any time in FNT Command and quickly identify the source of the problem in the event of a fault.

Looking to the future, further process optimization options are on the horizon. When changes need to be made, for example to a switch cabinet, users can start by making them via the planning function. This documents the desired change and automatically sends the work order to the technicians tasked with carrying it out. Having a transparent representation of the necessary work steps and instructions means that the technical team can quickly implement the requested change. Once the work has been completed, the status is changed in the documentation from “planned” to “actual.” This functionality in FNT Command will therefore support a high level of process automation which SBB fully intends to utilize in the future. The aim is to generate the inventory for the network and surrounding systems directly from the cable management software.

"From a strategic viewpoint, we made exactly the right decision by investing in FNT Command. The software offers many options for addressing our specific requirements as part of consistent, high-quality data management. We can transparently map our complex processes and structures and thus ensure the ongoing success of our network-based rail infrastructure," thus Silvan Wigger.