case study
Company:
CSX Transportation Inc., operates the
largest railroad in the eastern United
States with a 21,000-mile rail network
linking commercial markets in 23 states,
the District of Columbia, and two
Canadian provinces.
Industry:
Transportation, Field Service
Objective:
Improve work flow efficiency and
productivity in Federal Railroad
Administration (FRA) mandated rail yard
inspections with the deployment of a
paperless track inspection system.
Solution:
• Integrated Track Inspection System
(ITIS) application
• OQO ultra mobile PCs running Microsoft
Windows XP & Windows .NET
• Field rugged bump case to protect OQO
computers from shock, water, and dust
• LANDesk for systems and security
management of PCs
• Afaria for software distribution
• IBM DB2e and WebSphere J2EE
application server, Oracle database
Results:
• Enables proactive monitoring and
maintenance of rails
• Eliminates paper-based data collection
• Increased efficiency and productivity
in training and regulatory compliance
• On target to realize significant annual
cost savings
CSX Transportation Deploys OQO Ultra Mobile PCs for
Paperless Track Inspections in Rail Yards
OQO handheld computers help CSXT improve work flow efficiency and productivity while
delivering a low total cost of ownership (TCO).
The challenge: Finding an easy-to-use, handheld device that integrates
seamlessly with CSXT’s existing IT infrastructure
A key mission at CSXT is continual improvement in railroad safety achieved through
detailed inspection and maintenance of their rail network spanning 21,000 miles of track.
CSXT employs 380 track inspectors who are responsible for evaluating, recording, and
maintaining track conditions in accordance with company and federal regulatory standards.
In 2004, CSXT launched an initiative to migrate to an electronic track inspection record
keeping system with the objective of increasing efficiency by reducing manual, paper-
based processes. Looking for a reliable handheld device for their track inspectors in rail
yards, CSXT performed a pilot with various devices including Personal and Enterprise
Digital Assistants, and OQO ultra mobile PCs. Technical and financial analysis based on
feedback from participants of the pilot led to CSXT selecting OQO ultra mobile PCs for
deployment.
“TCO was a significant factor in our decision to deploy OQO ultra mobile PCs for our
electronic track inspection record keeping system. Having an integrated notebook and
handheld solution running full Windows XP has enabled substantial cost and time savings
in software development, systems integration, and employee training.”
– Joe McMillan, CSXT Technical Director
OQO Ultra Mobile PCs Enable Rapid Deployment and Low TCO
To equip both the road masters in vehicles and track inspectors on foot, CSXT designed
their Integrated Track Inspector System, ITIS, for use with notebooks and OQO handheld
computers. Track inspection data collected in rail yards are consolidated in a central
database for real time trend analysis, regulatory reporting, and management review.
Because OQO handheld computers run Microsoft’s Windows XP operating system, no
porting of the track inspection application was required, saving software development
time and cost. Seamless systems integration was achieved with common middleware
and back end infrastructure supporting both platforms. Wary of device OS proliferation
and associated maintenance costs, CSXT IT managers favored the familiar and trusted
environment of the OQO ultra mobile PC.
 case study
“With the power of a full Windows
XP PC in a lightweight, handheld
form factor, the OQO computer
enables us to proactively manage
our track inspection work flow
while eliminating the burden and
waste of paper forms and manuals.
Deployment was a major success
with tangible productivity and
efficiency gains.”
Larry Biess
CSX Director of Advanced Engineering
Training of track inspectors was also simplified with the same application running on both
notebooks and OQO ultra mobile PCs. CSXT created a single, platform-agnostic training
manual and DVD with snapshots of navigation menus and electronic forms to train track
inspectors and road masters.
“In addition to the costly overhead of porting and maintaining software for PDAs,
participants of our pilot complained of having to click through 4 to 5 menus on PDAs
to perform the same task in a single menu on the OQO computer or notebook. The
increased screen real estate of the OQO device and the ability to run a full operating
system directly resulted in improved usability and greater productivity in the field.”
– Srini Manchikanti, CSXT Project Manager of Engineering Applications
Mobility and Usability Key for In-Field Adoption
CSXT rapidly deployed OQO ultra mobile PCs to track inspectors in rail yards across 23
eastern states representing their regions of operation. With track inspectors on foot most
of the day, the OQO computers had to meet the following requirements for practical use:
• lightweight and mobile
• rugged, durable, and reliable
• indoor and outdoor screen readable
• easy navigation and input
Weighing approximately 1 lb., the OQO computer was a welcome replacement for the
4-inch-thick Maintenance of Way Instructions (MWI) binder that track inspectors had to
lug around. All forms and manuals are now stored locally on the shock mounted hard drive
of the OQO computer. Encased in a rugged magnesium chassis with a field rugged bump
case, the OQO computer is well suited to withstand the wear and tear of all-day, outdoor
use. The bright screen also enables outdoor readability even under intense sunlight. Track
inspectors can navigate and enter input using the integrated keyboard, track stick, or
digital pen on the OQO computer. High reliability rates of OQO handheld computers have
minimized downtime.
“The OQO computer makes my job a lot easier. I don’t have to carry and flip through
the MWI binder because the computer will automatically suggest remediation measures
based on my input. With the OQO computer, I can now access historical gauge reports to
look at recurrence rates and trends.”
– Wes Whitehead, CSXT track inspector
Success with Significant Productivity and Efficiency Gains
Nearly a year after deployment, CSXT is already recognizing the success of their electronic
track inspection record keeping system with proven track inspector productivity gains,
improved training, and lower costs in software development and systems integration. On
target to meet the project’s annual cost savings goal, CSXT has bolstered their preventive
maintenance practices while reducing the burden on track inspectors. Rich data collected
on the OQO handheld computers is also aiding CSXT in root cause analysis of accidents.
Application functionality and features are continually being added and updated to further
enhance automation and efficiency with OQO handheld computers.
Anytime/Anywhere Productivity™
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