SNCF: Automating communication processes with digital signage

SNCF has a mission to make travel easier and more seamless, while developing the mobility solutions of tomorrow. SNCF Gares & Connexions is committed to improving service quality through everything it does.

In pursuing this commitment, while the solutions put in place are important, effective communication is absolutely essential to ensure people know they exist.

Broadcast information instantly

With more than 4 million passengers transported each day, the changes that can occur on the SNCF network always impact a large number of people. Consequently, communication in the event of a complex situation disrupting traffic and therefore users (work on the line requiring timetable changes for a given timeframe, industrial action, etc.) needs to be highly responsive. In this context, SNCF Gares & Connexions was looking for a solution to ensure the creation and rapid broadcast of information to these millions of travelers, to react to these situations in the most effective way.

Offer a simple solution in a complex organization

Traditional print displays (manually managed, demanding significant organization and logistical costs) are now being replaced by digital screens. Information about changes to regular train timetables is accompanied by information about the services offered at the station (station innovations, existence of luggage lockers, lost property and any other specific local event). SNCF Gares & Connexions specifically requested therefore that the chosen solution should allow for complete visual communication that is easy to implement and update.

Local communication that is autonomous and coherent with the entire network

The implementation of our Media4Display solution also had to respond to the organizational complexity behind the scenes at SNCF Gares & Connexions, the unit responsible for the digitalization of station communications. In practice, each player operating in a given sector and perimeter was granted broadcasting rights on the screens in its area. Thus communication is managed locally, from a global system. The platform automatically integrates a “header” and a “footer” common to all communications to easily ensure visual consistency (no need for agents in charge of broadcasting a communication to create specific elements). In addition, each communication is scheduled with a start and end date so that the information broadcast is always up to date (important, for example, when an alternative route is set up due to construction work over a given period).

While configuring the platform is a significant process especially in terms of determining the levels of authorization to put in place, once done it allows for complete autonomy of each agent, without complexity since they only have visibility of their own screens.

Future developments

Ultimately, the entire process of broadcasting communications will be simplified thanks to complete automation of the process, from the creation of content to its distribution, via APIs. The Media4Display software is already able to offer this service.