First Bus Moves Ahead with Maintenance Modernisation

Leading Public Transport Operator Selects Infor and Sapphire Systems to Boost Asset Management Efficiency and Enhance the Customer Experience

News provided by

Infor

Apr 25, 2019, 09:58 ET

LONDON, April 25, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Infor, a global leader in business cloud software specialised by industry, today announced that First Bus, part of FirstGroup plc, the leading transport operator in the UK and North America, has selected Infor EAM for its UK bus operations. The solution forms part of a modernisation project at the bus company, designed to drive efficiency and boost the customer experience. As part of an 18-month deployment, Infor EAM will be rolled out in three phases, fully serviced and hosted by Infor partner Sapphire Systems for 2,000-plus users.

With around 6,000 assets, mainly buses that span conventional diese, electric, hybrid, hydrogen, and gas, as well as ancillary vehicles, maintenance is a major part of First Bus' operations. To maximise time in service and visibility of the fleet, while minimising costs, its Bus Division engineering director outlined a requirement to replace its legacy, paper-based maintenance systems with new digital capabilities. With specific objectives to boost management information and data evidenced decision-making, First Bus selected Infor EAM following a thorough evaluation process. Having witnessed its US operation using the software, the company deemed it best-in-class in its category.

Once live, Infor EAM will digitalise asset management and maintenance for First Bus, ensuring that predictive reliability centred maintenance is carried out efficiently, to track warranties and service intervals, and report on these in real time. At the same time, real-time job tracking and advanced mobile functionality will help to fix faults, with the system despatching engineers with the right competencies, to the right type of problem, to facilitate faster resolution.

"In our evaluation process, Infor EAM really stood out as being the market leader in its field," comments Ian Warr, engineering director, First Bus. "Its ability to support asset availability, utilisation and reliability, extending the lifespan of equipment, competency tracking, warranty management, and availability of management information, all from a single system was aligned closely with our project goals. Our asset management is subject to so many challenges, from regulatory and environmental, to staffing and delivering the optimum customer experience, we are looking forward to moving forward with the very best capabilities and visibility from which to drive improved performance."

"Any business operating assets on this scale is exposed to a great deal of risk," comments Kevin Price, technical product evangelist, Infor. "Digitalisation of asset management practices mitigates this risk through ensuring greater accuracy of information, more visibility to make the best decisions, and expedited resolution of problems to minimise downtime and stem costs. First Bus is leading the charge in its industry, modernising its asset management to ensure it can deliver on its overarching goal to be a provider of choice to the 1.6 million customers and communities it serves."

"As pressure to enhance the customer experience and drive best practice in the transportation sector continues, the digitalisation of assets has become an increasingly important metric for success," comments Ian Caswell, CEO, Sapphire Systems. "We are delighted to be working with such an innovative and forward-thinking company as First Bus, providing our industry-leading services, support and hosting via Sapphire Anywhere, and look forward to being a part of the transport leader's journey going forward."

About Infor
Infor is a global leader in business cloud software specialized by industry. With 17,300 employees and over 68,000 customers in more than 170 countries, Infor software is designed for progress. To learn more, please visit www.infor.com.

Infor customers include:

19 of the top 20 aerospace companies
9 of the top 10 high tech companies
18 of the 25 largest U.S. healthcare delivery networks
18 of the 20 largest U.S. cities
19 of the top 20 automotive suppliers
17 of the top 20 industrial distributors
15 of the top 20 global retailers
4 of the top 5 brewers
17 of the top 20 global banks
9 of the 10 largest global hotel brands
8 of the top 10 global luxury brands

About Sapphire Systems
Sapphire Systems is a leading global provider of enterprise software, delivering cloud-based industry specific solutions. With over 1,000 customers worldwide, Sapphire partners with market leading software authors, develops unique customisations, and offers unrivalled customer service and support. Headquartered in London with offices across the United Kingdom, United States, Latin America and Asia, Sapphire offers 24-hour support and has extensive knowledge and experience in helping clients to achieve a measurable return on investment.

For more information, visit www.sapphiresystems.com.

For more information:
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+447976111243

SOURCE Infor