Context
FirstGroup operates a diverse portfolio of rail businesses supported by a broad mix of legacy and modern software solutions. Over time, these systems had evolved independently, creating increasing cost, complexity, and governance challenges. As the organisation looked to support future growth while maintaining operational control, senior leadership required a clear, objective view of the existing technology landscape.
Risk
The absence of a coherent, group-wide technology strategy increased the risk of duplicated investment, inconsistent governance, and unmanaged technical debt.
Without an evidence-based appraisal, the organisation faced continued cost inefficiencies and reduced ability to scale in a structured, controlled manner aligned to business goals.
Intervention
I was engaged as an independent Architect / Technical Lead to investigate and appraise rail technology solutions across the group and provide senior leadership with clear, decision-ready recommendations.
My work focused on:
- Assessing existing rail software solutions for cost, architectural consistency, governance maturity, and operational sustainability.
- Identifying opportunities for cost reduction through consolidation, standardisation, and improved governance.
- Evaluating alignment between current technology capabilities and FirstGroup’s strategic business objectives.
- Developing a conclusive, evidence-based recommendation for a group-wide software approach.
- Presenting findings, options, and trade-offs in a format suitable for executive decision-making.
Outcome
FirstGroup gained a clear and defensible understanding of its technology landscape, along with a practical recommendation for a structured, group-wide software strategy. This enabled senior leadership to make informed decisions with confidence, reduce unnecessary cost and complexity, and establish a more controlled and scalable foundation to support future business growth.