Industry body Rail Forum Midlands (RFM) is delighted with the success of its third SME Challenge as part of the Rail Supply Group’s Rail Sector Deal Midlands Pilots. The SME Challenges have been designed to provide opportunities for SMEs to work collaboratively to develop and offer solutions to commercial needs identified by different clients across the industry.
This is the third SME Challenge run by RFM and was focussed on Depot Digitalisation and Sustainability with DB Cargo UK as the end client who have major depots in Crewe, Stoke and Toton. There were over 40 ideas/proposals submitted by the SMEs and RFM are pleased to announce that 14 of these ideas/proposals have been selected for one-to-one follow up meetings with DB Cargo UK.
Marie Hill, Chief Transportation and Digitalisation Officer at DB Cargo UK said: “Working with RFM we have had the ability to allow multiple SME’s the opportunity to look at the ‘current’ ways of working at our Stoke and Toton depots – giving them an insight into what we do and, what changes they would implement to help DB Cargo UK on its journey to a digital and sustainable future.”
Robert Hodgson, Engagement Manager at RFM said: “It was a pleasure to run this third SME Collaborative Challenge with DB Cargo as the end client, with their goal of improving efficiency, productivity and sustainability of their depots across the country. The engagement from both DB Cargo and the many SMEs was excellent and I look forward to seeing some of the ideas and proposals coming to fruition.”
