DB Systemtechnik is the largest center of competence for classic and digital railway in Europe. It’s also the engineering office of Deutsche Bahn, which means it handles a high volume of complex projects from many different departments. After three years of using Microsoft Project Service Automation for project management, it was time to upgrade to Dynamics 365 Project Operations.  

An undertaking that involved more than ten departments, this was already set to be a complex task. But it also came with a unique set of challenges: first, there was missing documentation. Secondly, there was a tight deadline that needed to be met. Finally, much like the trains they equip, DB Systemtechnik had to keep moving. The company that helps keep Europe running couldn’t be allowed to stop its operations, even for a complex technical migration.  

“I liken it to replacing the engine in a car,” said Dr. Christian Wilmes, Project Leader at DB Systemtechnik. “Except in our case, we had to do this while the car was in motion.”  

To get things started, DB Systemtechnik and proMX met to form a joint project team built on mutual trust. They performed a business analysis and created a business process map that helped create a system that met each of DB Systemtechnik’s needs.   

The result? A system migration so smooth that most people didn’t recognize that a big change had occurred.  

“We were able to cut the GoLive support phase from six months to three months,” says Christian.  

DB Systemtechnik now runs smoothly on Project Operations, and the joint team with proMX has created improved business process flows as well as workflows. The new system also contains improved functionality (including a new, time-saving copy and paste function).