AFRICA'S FASTEST TRAIN
How the Gautrain Management Agency went from tech-skeptic to industry leader
The Gautrain is Africa's only rapid rail service. Built in 2006, the continent's fastest train takes commuters between Johannesburg and Tshwane in South Africa, with connections to O.R. Tambo International – the country's busiest airport. The speed and connectivity transformed travel.
But behind the scenes, it was another story. The Gautrain Management Agency (GMA) had ambitions to improve customer experience, but manual processes put a brake on any initiative – and skeptical attitudes towards technology hindered any attempts at improvement.
Everything changed when the team discovered Microsoft's low-code development tools. GMA went from tech-resistant to tech-driven – even going beyond their initial customer-focused goals to transform other business areas.
Trust in technology
"Mistrust in IT and technology was holding us back," says Nkhane Lugisani, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at GMA, "All our processes were manual."
Like many business pre-digitization, administration takes up too much time, meaning it's difficult to do anything other than the primary purpose of the business, in this case, keeping the Gautrain running on time. And without a simple mechanism for collecting and analyzing data, GMA could not uncover the insights it needed to find and justify improvements.
Additionally, the team's working habits were changing, and their current suite of technology didn't support the need for mobility. "We looked at different solutions, and Microsoft was the one-stop-shop we needed," says Lugisani.
Before long, and with careful change management, the company finally integrated more advanced tools like Microsoft Power BI and Dynamics 365. The result, says Lugisani is that "We've managed to transform our processes – from completely manual to automated." All while changing the hearts and minds in the company.
While it wasn't an instant process to convince stakeholders to invest in technology, starting with improvements to familiar software like Office 365 and training employees to experience the benefits was a great starting point. From here, it was easier to expand to OneDrive and Teams.
Automatic tender
GMA staff – who had previously been wary of technology – were soon able to custom apps and automation workflows using Microsoft Power Apps and Microsoft Power Automate, respectively. With the ability to innovate for their individual role and responsibilities, everyone had the potential to make big changes, very quickly.
"What we've been able to do is, in a very short timeframe, take people with very little coding experience and actually get them to develop apps," says Henry Denner, Information Security Officer at GMA.
Using these low-code tools, GMA could automate much of the company's processes, eliminating paperwork. With administration drastically reduced, meetings became more substantive, and there was more time to focus on improvement rather than maintenance.
Using these low-code tools, GMA could automate much of the company's processes, eliminating paperwork. With administration drastically reduced, meetings became more substantive, and there was more time to focus on improvement rather than maintenance.
Digitization also unlocked GMA's data for analysis in Power BI, enabling the company to base its decisions on data. With these systems, Lugisani says, "We're going to be able to add value to our business because we're able to utilize the data that we have, we're able to analyze it, and to come up with better sourcing strategies for the organization."
But the jewel in GMA's crown is an automated tender system developed with Microsoft SharePoint, which allows them to communicate with suppliers instantly. "There's nothing like it in the market. Weare the first. It's our pride, and we really love it," says Lugisani. Wait times have been slashed, relationships are improved, and everyone benefits from the process.
Accelerated future
The transformation was put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic when businesses everywhere moved online. "Teams is a part of life. Even back in the office, we don't hold physical meetings," says Thsepo Kgobe, Chief Operating Officer (COO) at GMA. Lugisani underlines the point, "For us, it was business as usual. A lot of that is thanks to Teams."
GMA has become a more streamlined, efficient organization – one befitting the Gautrain. "We roughly saved a couple of million rands (around $150,000)," says Lugisani. But more importantly, "We have instilled trust in technology. We're empowered to bring that trust to our customers, with higher value services built on more automation and zero paperwork."
And as that trust runs deeper, GMA will no doubt continue to accelerate far into the future.
