Well it’s all over for ‘back to school’ week, but before we completely say goodbye to 2025, the Innovatious gang has been pondering a few lessons from 2025. Here’s 3 of them.
Have a vision of success.
We often get called in halfway through a project lifecycle – to help with procurement, check requirements, support contract finalisation with a new supplier, test a system before launch. And we often have to go backwards to check what the client set out to achieve at the start. Without a solid customer proposition, clear requirements, KPIs for success, it’s very hard to be sure you are delivering the right thing. Don’t be afraid to put in a bit of thought up front because it’ll save you loads of time later…. and on money for people like us!
Sometimes that’s not all in your control though so it helps to understand…
Hurdles and water slides.
They’re no-one’s favourite but many organisations are beset with risk registers. It is useful to know, however, what hurdles you may have to clear (but be brutally honest in risk workshops though – what is really worrying you?).
We work in ticketing and with any new piece of work, we try to understand what the actual problems are that the project is trying to solve – deliver cost savings? make the process easier so more people get on the bus? ensure inclusion? support interoperability across systems, regions or operators? Maybe all of those but what wins when a choice is needed? As well as clearing hurdles though, it is good to know what water slides could carry you along to success. In our experience, the water slides are often avoided because they look too scary from a distance. Most ticketing technologies are now mature so someone else has already done the first mover risk stuff (with the notable exception of ITSO on mobile… plea for 2026 – could someone give it a go and let us know how you get on?)
Barcode and cEMV are well established now though and people like them. And there are ways to make them work for everyone – children, people with discounts and concessions, the unbanked. Don’t be afraid – it’ll be great!
Get key people on side.
So you have a vision, you understand the risks and the benefits, but who do you need with you to make it a reality?
In MBAs and stuff like that, they tell you that strategy is not what you write in your transport strategy, it’s what actually happens on the ground. Linked to that is who make decisions and who influences. What does the Mayor want? Have you got a mechanism for engaging public and private operators alike? What are their red lines?
In Scotland, NSTAB (National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board) is such a mechanism, and it has the ear of the Minister. Talk about governance (as well as risk registers) may not excite you but it does make a massive difference.
At the risk of ruining our chances of work in the UK rail sector, the drawn-out process of establishing the governance around GBR and how Network Rail, RDG and DFTO will work is getting in the way of progress. 2026 will hopefully move this forward.
Reading this back, none of this is proverbial rocket science but it requires clarity and single-minded pursuit of your goals. Good luck out there!
Innovatious is a small (but mighty) consultancy that specialises in all aspects of smart ticketing – everything from fares and ticketing strategies, to defining, procuring and implementing new technologies. Drop us a line for a free, no-obligations workshop!