Accenture and GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms Transform Metro de Madrid's Operations

Metro de Madrid, a metro system, has successfully introduced a program to transform its maintenance operations and provide higher standards of transportation services.

Metro de Madrid has teamed with Accenture and GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a unit of GE Enterprise Solutions, to launch the program, known as 'COMMIT', to increase operational performance and raise the level of its customer service.

To meet Metro de Madrid's operational goals, Accenture implemented a new operational maintenance model and designed a technology infrastructure to manage in real-time the installation of metro's equipment such as elevators, escalators, energy distribution and management, telecommunications, hydraulic pumps, ticketing and turnstiles. The model comprises monitoring and automation tools with capabilities including diagnostics of failures and incidents to minimize service disruptions, the analysis of incidents and equipment faults to reduce maintenance costs and maximize manpower resources, and remote maintenance and remote monitoring of installations of equipment to increase efficiency. GE Fanuc Intelligent Platform's supervisory control and data acquisition software suite, Proficy iFIX , was implemented as a part of the solution. iFIX provides real-time information management to help Metro de Madrid drive better analytics and leverage more reliability, visibility into day-to-day operations, flexibility and scalability across their enterprise.

"We are delighted with the early successes the COMMIT program has delivered," Manuel Vazquez , Metro de Madrid's Infrastructure Director. "The work Accenture and GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms carried out is central to the expansion of our network and delivery of superior service as we now have real-time diagnostic and monitoring tools that enable us to be proactive rather than reactive at all levels and aspects of the network's operation."

In a release the company noted that since the launch of the COMMIT program in June 2006, Metro de Madrid has realized a range of benefits including:

- Putting into service about one third more equipment and facilities without deteriorating the quality of service. The costs of implementation were also controlled;

- Manpower efficiencies with a reduction in second on-site visits to resolve equipment failures or malfunctions;

- Increase in positive customer experience due to real-time availability of the state of services offered;

- Improved technical and service management internally and with its suppliers.

Carlos Gallego, Accenture senior executive for public transportation, said, "COMMIT has a strong focus on innovation and is a pioneering model in maintenance infrastructures for the railway industry. It has already been able to deliver superior quality of service at a reduced operating cost."

Marco Ribas, senior executive with Accenture automation and industrial solutions services, said, "Accenture is committed to leveraging our skills in industrial automation and experience in business process and systems to help Metro de Madrid achieve its goals of operational excellence and positive customer experience. We were able to provide Metro de Madrid with critical, real-time transit system operations data and other essential information, using GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms software, which allowed it to align operations with the business strategy. We look forward to collaborating with GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms on future client opportunities."

Erik Udstuen, Vice President of Software and Services for GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, said, "Our industry-leading HMI/SCADA software is designed to provide organizations like Metro de Madrid visibility into their operations so they can make decisions to achieve a sustainable advantage for their business. We are pleased to be working jointly with Accenture on this operation and service quality program, and plan to collaborate on similar client opportunities."

Accenture and GE have begun a working relationship to provide enterprise solutions globally.

Metro de Madrid is a metropolitan railway.

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company.

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, a joint venture between General Electric Company and Fanuc of Japan, is a high-performance technology company and a global provider of hardware, software, services, and expertise in automation and embedded computing.

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