CGI helps ProRail develop, test and implement innovations

Infrastructure services, experience and expertise

One of the world's largest IT and business consulting firms, CGI, supports ProRail in digitizing its business processes and the data provision that goes with them. "But also in getting the operational backbone right; the operational information provision of a network operator's core processes," adds Robert Voûte. Voûte is responsible for the direction and vision of CGI in the Netherlands in the areas of geographic information, 3D (modeling), positioning (indoor and outdoor) and operational images (Common Operational Pictures) with a specific focus on the Transportation sector (rail, road and water).

CGI operates in about 40 countries worldwide for markets such as government, industry, transportation and logistics. Voûte explains that a new sector has been added: vital civil infrastructures. "A very exciting sector, because there we have drawn together customers who are not normally within one market. Yet they have one thing in common: they all make their networks available and are therefore all infrastructure managers." Under this new sector, CGI combined the following parties: RWS with the asphalt and water networks, ProRail with the railroads, and furthermore all network operators from the power, gas and water worlds. "They have a lot of similar processes where it is important that asset data management is in good order," Voûte adds.

Digital Twin

The world of network operator ProRail is outside, and a lot is happening there. The network performs a variety of tasks in different places simultaneously. Measurements provide digital information that is collected, purified, modeled and combined. From that information, a Digital Twin can be generated: a digital representative of the real world. But it is more than that. The Digital Twin also represents planned/designed and already vanished objects. Thus, it covers the entire life cycle of the object structure and associated information management. Moreover, use of the network is part of ProRail's 5D world. Voûte: "5D is a combination of 3D location-based information with a time registration and the level of detail of the product. This in turn serves as the basis for the information systems with which ProRail controls its core processes."

Partnership

Voûte concludes that people are increasingly taking advantage of the virtual reflection of reality and trusting that this information is available and gives a good picture of the state outside. "During all phases of business operations, the digital world is the anchor point for controlling and adjusting business processes. We at CGI understand at a detailed level the business processes of a grid operator. When digitization is the order of the day and critical systems must not fail, their organization and control must be sound. By experiencing the entire process together, sharing our knowledge and expertise with the customer, you arrive at optimal business processes together. Voûte concludes, "Our people are enormously driven and support the client with years of experience and expertise. This is how we help the customer-in this case ProRail-to shape the vision of the entire operation from the 5D perspective."