Metro St. Louis' pioneering experiment already has delivered results that demonstrate the system's potential. For example, during the pilot project it detected overheating in the hydraulic retarder, part of the bus's transmission system, allowing maintenance personnel to fix the problem before it escalated into an expensive transmission repair. Predictive Monitoring has provided another payoff: It allows Metro St. Louis to extend the life of its buses by customizing a maintenance schedule for each vehicle.
Not only does this enable the transit system to perform maintenance only when needed, but also it reduces the overall cost of ownership. For example, the system can be used to identify a bus's fuel inefficiency before it becomes too significant—then Metro St. Louis could tune-up the vehicle to restore fuel efficiency. While most businesses are focused on using data to better understand the past, Predictive Monitoring shifts that focus, allowing Metro St. Louis to look into the future by capturing data in real time so that it can take preemptive action.
Metro St. Louis will decide whether to install the advanced technology on its entire bus fleet—a move that could produce significant net savings by extending the life of its buses, optimizing maintenance schedules, and identifying fuel inefficiencies. Meanwhile, the transit system already has demonstrated its commitment to high performance by making two critical decisions that Accenture has identified as key traits of high-performance businesses: It is using information technology to create and act on insights in real time. And, it has achieved extended mastery through partnering in areas outside their core competencies.
By teaming with Accenture, Metro St. Louis is positioning itself as a 21st century leader in public transit. "We're a progressive transit organization committed to enhancing passenger convenience," says Dianne Williams, director of communications for Metro St. Louis. "While our maintenance facilities are recognized to be among the best in the country, there is always room for improvement. We are enthusiastic about the pilot project's early results."