National Public Transport Company Transforms Rail Grinding Maintenance with Rizing and SAP
The organization responsible for maintaining the national rail infrastructure in the Netherlands is the National Public Transport Company. It operates as part of a broader infrastructure trust, employs approximately 4,400 people, and is headquartered in Utrecht.
Project Background
Rail grinding is a necessary maintenance process in the rail industry. While the grinding itself happens in the field, the supporting technology in the office plays an equally important role.
The company had previously used SAP Linear Asset Management, but it didn’t fully meet the need to create rail grinding plans. The system lacked specific rail characteristics for grinding and measuring points.
As a workaround, planners relied on Excel to manage grinding jobs—a process that slowed turnaround and limited responsiveness.
Building on Linear Asset Data for Rail Grinding
Over a five-month engagement, Rizing helped the company define a new grinding policy and then design, build, test, and roll out an SAP-based solution.
Rizing also supported data cleanup and integration of information stored outside the Linear Asset Management system.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
The SAP-powered grinding process is now more efficient and accurate. Rail maintenance planners can:
- React to track irregularities sooner
- Create and assign measuring points based on specific equipment and linear data
- Schedule work orders up to two years in advance, based on projected tonnage limits
- Use condition-based data to guide grinding decisions, rather than relying solely on timetables and regulations
- Predict when grinding will be necessary
- Save money and labor by grinding at the right time and place
- Avoid unnecessary wear and maintenance on the track
Agile Process, Change Management Focus
To drive transformation, the organization partnered with Rizing and adopted an SAP Activate, agile approach to redesign the grinding process. Business stakeholders remained closely involved through regular demonstrations of deliverables.
Training and workshops began early—an essential move for reshaping such a critical operational process. Rizing supported the rollout with additional enablement resources, including user manuals and supplemental training sessions.
By working collaboratively, the National Public Transport Company, Rizing, and SAP delivered a smarter, more responsive grinding program that benefits the entire rail network.
