Rail Solution
SQR – Service Quality Regime
The ANT SQR system was designed and built from the ground upwards, working closely with GTR and Southeastern to meet and exceed all DfT requirements within Rail. This isn’t just compliance – it’s confidence. ANT’s SQR stands as a benchmark in the industry, where precision, simplicity, and reliability come together to serve those who matter most: the passengers and the teams who support them.
Our SQR system now covers all the requirements of DfT, enables the auditor to check Station & Train assets/fixtures effectively, using the most advanced mobile software.
With no training required for the auditors and comprehensive dashboards and analysis, our SQR exceeds all expectations.
OUR SQR CHALLENGE
There were numerous challenges at the start of the SQR Project;
- To ensure a very user-friendly solution so that contractors and employees could use it without training
- To be able to transfer a large amount of station/train data quickly pre the Audit
- To include Marlin maps to ensure only TOC station areas are checked
- To add assets on the Stations and Trains
- To incorporate station maps to pinpoint asset locations
- To Reduce time scales by adding pre planned Revisits to check for faults
- The inclusion of Best Practice images to aid the assessor
- Add GPS co ordinates to ensure accuracy of assets and faults
We turned every challenge into an opportunity and delivered exceptional results.
What key criteria does SQR system comprise?
At the heart of every solution lies a clear principle: simplicity. SQR has been designed with users in mind – intuitive, effortless, and efficient.
As the DfT requires external contractors to use the SQR system, it became even more critical that the interface demand little to no training. The result? A platform so user-friendly, it empowers anyone to get started immediately – no steep learning curve, just seamless functionality from day one.
Who is currently using ANT’s SQR Solution?
Beyond GTR, leading operators Southeastern and C2C have also embraced our solution with great success, reinforcing ANT’s SQR position as a trusted, high-performance standard across the industry.
Mobile Benefits of our SQR system:
Ease of Use for Assessors: Streamlined workflows, user-friendly interfaces, and mobile access make it easy for assessors to log and manage observations.
Web & Mobile Asset Management: Create, update, and manage station assets (e.g., ticket machines, signage, seating) from both web and mobile platforms. The system also doubles up as an Asset Management database for those assets audited by the SQR regime.
Best Practice Photos: Library of example images to guide assessors and third parties in identifying acceptable standards.
Station Maps: ·Interactive or downloadable maps to help navigate complex stations during assessments or issue resolution.
GPS Logging: real-time auditor GPS logging and geofencing options to ensure auditor accuracy.
In Setup, auditors can view and update the complete details of all the Live Assets at the Station.
Web Benefits of our SQR system:
Workload Management: System balances and optimises workload across assessors and contractors for efficiency. With a suite of tools allowing the auditor managers to plan and allocate audit schedules and revisits.
Automatic Task Assignment: Email notifications auto-assign tasks to third-party contractors based on issue type, location, or urgency.
API Integration – Various 3rd party systems are supported to enable work-orders to be raised on different systems as a results of an SQR failure being recorded.
API Access: API entry point to allow 3rd party apps/programs to analyse the collected SQR data. i.e. PowerBi data feeds.
Automatically Allocate Revisits:
Revisits scheduled automatically when failures are logged, ensuring timely follow-up.
Customer Experience Enhancement:
Designed to improve the overall passenger experience, such as prompt issue resolution and visible cleanliness improvements.
Disruption Days Management:
Ability to log and account for disruption days where performance standards may be impacted (e.g., strikes, severe weather, engineering works).
Grace Periods:
Configurable grace periods for resolving specific types of issues before penalties or follow-ups are triggered.
Web & Mobile Asset Management:
Create, update, and manage station assets (e.g. signage, seating) from web and mobile. The system is an Asset database for those assets audited by SQR regime.
DfT Spreadsheet:
Auto population and generation of the DfT defined Excel spreadsheet.
SQR mobile App is built on a single core belief – Simplicity for the user – Powerful for the TOC
Its intuitive interface ensures effortless navigation, keeping essential information front and centre at all times.
Users can instantly see audit counts, actions raised, and visit statuses – ensuring clarity, control, and confidence throughout the process.
The Marlin map ensures SQR auditors assess the correct station areas with clarity and consistency. For trains, detailed carriage plans help pinpoint the exact location of issues – making audits more accurate and actionable.
When issues arise – particularly in large stations – a precise location matters. Our interactive station map allows auditors to mark the exact spot of concern, enabling maintenance teams to respond faster and more efficiently.
SQR equips auditors with guidance, photos, and commentary – ensuring maintenance teams act quickly, confidently, and with the right tools from the start.
Vital Management information on SQR
Robust SQR management demands precision. Smartaa SQR delivers detailed, benchmarked results by criterion and period – meeting DfT standards and driving targeted, data-led improvements.
The Asset Dashboard provides a comprehensive view of station and train assets, including location, performance metrics, photos, and failure rates. Managers can export reports and update records in real time, enabling precise oversight and proactive maintenance.
Stay on top of inspection performance with Re-inspection Dashboard – offering a clear breakdown of revisits by station or train, real-time status updates (Outstanding, Completed, or Missed), and full visibility into failed criteria.
The ANT SQR system allows GTR to fulfil its Department for Transport obligation of completing the periodic train and carriage audits with a simple, intuitive mobile system. GTR are then able to analyse the collected data from the inbuilt dashboards and exports and submit the results to the DfT as per our agreement.
GTR was given very little time to mobilise the SQR regime, but ANT really rose to the challenge, supporting us to deliver an audit app and back-office systems to support this and the collected data.
Since the implementation of the DfT’s SQR regime ANT has worked with GTR to make significant enhancements to the system, so it is now a robust recording and analysis tool which provides GTR with full visibility of tracking the SQR regime and the DfT with consistent accurate data. ANT has an excellent management, customer support and helpdesk team and are always extremely willing to help deliver improvements. This has been invaluable to us.
Ian Hibbert
SQR Manager, Govia Thameslink Railway
