Modernizing our Public Transportation

Over the past several years, there’s been an ongoing digital transformation surrounding the majority of services that we rely on in everyday life. Instead of going to movie theatres, people often opt to use a streaming service. Instead of going to a restaurant, many choose to have food delivered. Instead of commuting to a meeting or office environment, people elect to use video conferencing software. It’s safe to say that today’s digital trend has impacted the world with no signs of slowing down any time soon.

With cities across the globe returning to normalcy, several industries have adopted these digital changes and incorporated them into their service. Notably, with commuters returning to offices and traveling more frequently, the transportation industry appears to be hitting its stride. On par with the other services that were revolutionized in the past two-plus years, there has also been a digital transformation of the $78.5bn public transportation industry in the United States (IBISworld). This is equating to better overall customer service and safety, improved operational efficiency and a more efficient experience for using buses, trolleys, trams, passenger trains, subways, bridges and tolls booths.

“When we think about digital transformation, IT leaders should think beyond creating the next big thing. It’s important to recognize that even the longest-standing, most traditional public services can benefit from digital transformation, and we’re seeing that with the Transportation industry.” ~ Colleen Molter, President of QED National

 

Digital reshapes the customer experience

It is predicted that 184 billion apps will be downloaded by 2024 – and, it’s quite likely you are reading this article on your smartphone. Consumers are accustomed to relying on their phones for convenience and efficiency – from financial transactions to global communications – so it’s only natural that the public transportation industry would work to improve customer experience from that perspective. The team at QED National has deep roots in working with public transportation organizations to help modernize and promote new digital services, including mobile ticketing and fare collection, mobile applications, and digital train schedules.

Digital transformation of public transportation provides new opportunities to enhance customer experience, as well as to optimize transportation operations and infrastructure. For example, trains now have beacons that help inform conductors and passengers which cars have capacity or are full; there are countdown clocks, so riders can manage time and know when to expect a train’s arrival; mobile ticketing and contactless payment systems have made it easier for provider employees to check tickets and for riders to access public transport beyond physical tickets – all resulting in delivering reliable service, safety, and enhanced customer communication.

 

QED National Expertise

It’s important to have high-quality IT consulting solutions which help employ cutting-edge technology to ensure reliable service to the public. QED National’s solutions for Transportation customers contain a range of services including, information security, mobile application development, network optimization, enterprise architecture, project management, business analysis, and more. QED National’s strong understanding of and performance in this industry has earned the firm the respect and trust of its Transportation clients, who continue to rely on us to deliver on critical IT and OT projects.