Introduction
The Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) manages the Rule Book, a critical resource providing operational rules for 120,000 rail staff across Great Britain. Previously available as physical copies or PDFs, RSSB sought to modernize Rule Book delivery to enhance usability, accessibility, and member satisfaction. Contiem (formerly known as Mekon) partnered with RSSB to design and deliver a mobile app solution that revolutionized how the Rule Book was accessed, maintained, and utilized.
The Challenge
RSSB needed a solution to modernize content delivery and enable dynamic updates, offline access, and better customization for their user base while maintaining continuity with their existing formats. RSSB faced several challenges with the traditional delivery model of the Rule Book:
- Limited Accessibility: The PDF and printed formats were not user-friendly, especially for on-the-go staff such as drivers and guards.
- Inefficient Updates: Distributing annual updates to 60+ manuals totaling over 2,000 pages required significant effort and resources.
- Lack of Functionality: The static formats did not allow for features like personalized views, easy navigation, or interactive elements.
The Solution
Contiem addressed RSSB’s needs through a multistage project that included the discovery and creation of an information model for organizing the Rule Book content in a Component Content Management System, conversion of 2,000 pages of legacy content to XML/DITA, and iterative stylesheet development for continued PDF publishing. The newly developed Rule Book mobile app featured seamless offline functionality, user authentication, and the ability to highlight updated content dynamically, enabling customized Rule Book views for each user.
Contiem used the Congility Mobile platform to create app compatibility, delivering staged releases for iOS and Android.
Benefits Of The Rule Book Mobile App
Rail staff can:
- Access the Rule Book on their phone or tablet, even when offline
- Search and navigate the whole Rule Book quickly and intuitively
- Personalize their Rule Book, selecting only the parts that they need
- Bookmark sections of the Rule Book as ‘favorites’
- Add personal notes to capture their own thoughts
- Be notified of Future Amendments via the app, giving them immediate access and allowing them to acknowledge the updates with one click
Rail companies can:
- Save money and paper
- Maintain Rule Book access centrally using the admin control
- Check who has acknowledged updates and run user activity reports
- Check what Modules staff have downloaded and viewed, and run reports
- Improve their briefing process
Key Outcomes
The collaboration between Contiem and RSSB delivered measurable results that revolutionized how the Rule Book is accessed and utilized:
- Modernized Content Delivery: The Rule Book mobile app offered flexible, user-specific access to the Rule Book, transforming content delivery from static PDFs to a dynamic and accessible platform.
- Enhanced User Experience: Features such as offline access, personalized views, and interactive updates significantly improved usability for railway staff.
- Streamlined Updates: The new system enabled real-time updates, eliminating the delays and inefficiencies of annual PDF distributions.
- Improved Content Management: The XML/DITA- based structured content system facilitated better organization, reuse, and scalability while maintaining continuity with PDF outputs.
- Scalable Cross-Platform Solution: The mobile app’s multi-platform support (iOS and Android) ensured accessibility for a broader audience.
Conclusion
Through this project, Contiem demonstrated its ability to design and deliver innovative content solutions tailored to complex organizational needs. By modernizing RSSB’s Rule Book delivery, Contiem not only improved operational efficiency but also provided railway staff with a tool that is user-friendly, highly functional, and future-proof.
For organizations seeking to redefine their content delivery or implement enterprise-grade content solutions, Contiem can provide the expertise and technology needed to achieve exceptional results.