Camunda > Case Studies > Camunda BPM at DB Cargo

Camunda BPM at DB Cargo

Customer Company Size

Large Corporate

Region

Europe

Country

Germany

Product

Camunda BPM
Camunda Process Engine
Camunda Cockpit application
Camunda Enterprise Platform

Tech Stack

BPMN
Cloud Computing

Implementation Scale

Enterprise-wide Deployment

Impact Metrics

Productivity Improvements
Digital Expertise

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management

Applicable Industries

Railway & Metro

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Use Cases

Process Control & Optimization
Service Parts Management

Services

System Integration
Software Design & Engineering Services

About The Customer

DB Cargo AG is a leading freight railway in Europe, running 4,520 trains per day. Based in Frankfurt am Main, the company provides Europe-wide rail transport for business customers from various sectors. One of the biggest challenges in long-distance, cross-border traffic is ensuring the reliable and on-schedule transport of cargo. To address this, DB Cargo is part of the European production alliance Xrail, which aims to optimize cross-border interoperability through a central broker and agreed process models. The IT system Transport Chain and Service Management (TSM) serves as a platform for connecting DB Cargo to Xrail Capacity Booking.

The Challenge

DB Cargo, the most productive freight railway in Europe, faced a significant challenge in long-distance, cross-border traffic - ensuring the reliable and on-schedule transport of cargo. As part of the European production alliance Xrail, DB Cargo aimed to optimize cross-border interoperability through a central broker and agreed process models. However, the initial architectural approach to connect DB Cargo to the Xrail production alliance proved inefficient. The business logic and technical functions required for the Xrail processes had to be distributed across all involved systems, leading to increased complexity in service orchestration and transformation functionalities.

The Solution

To reduce complexity and ensure efficient integration of Xrail business logic into DB Cargo's systems, a central orchestration component was implemented through the new Transport Chain and Service Management (TSM) system. The Camunda platform formed the basis for this system, providing a flexible integration with legacy systems and fast adaptability to changing conditions. The Camunda platform also ensured compliance with high availability and response time behavior SLAs. The workflow engine was embedded in the TSM application, making Camunda a lightweight BPMN solution that could be integrated with common development tools. The TSM system was operated in the cloud, leveraging the benefits of scalability, high availability, and the pay-per-use payment model.

Operational Impact

The basic functionalities of TSM were tested in pilot phases with other Xrail members.
The Camunda Cockpit application, part of the Camunda Enterprise Platform, proved to be a valuable tool for efficient analyses.
The service offered was well-rounded due to fast support by Camunda and the exchange of experiences within the Camunda community.
Camunda became a driving force for DB Cargo in the realm of digitalization as process automation and the information obtained during process execution supported continuous process optimization.