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From Isolated Systems to a Unified Maintenance Standard
SBB INSTAM: Standardized Maintenance Processes with SAP PM
SBB AG operates complex production facilities across 19 locations, all of which are essential for providing and maintaining its rolling stock. As part of the INSTAM project, valantic harmonized the entire maintenance processes using SAP PM (SAP Plant Maintenance) – creating maximum transparency, significantly higher efficiency, and a sustainably improved asset availability. Today, this centralized solution serves as the standard for a modern, digitalized, and future-proof maintenance management system at SBB.
About SBB
The Swiss Federal Railways – “Schweizerischen Bundesbahnen” (SBB) is the backbone of public transport in Switzerland and is one of Europe’s leading railway companies. Over one million passengers use their reliable, punctual and high-quality services every day.
A special feature of SBB is the seamless integration of all modes of transport – from train and bus to boat and urban transport.
Thanks to state-of-the-art technologies and AI-supported solutions, SBB optimises its infrastructure and maintenance, while positioning itself as a pioneer of sustainable mobility with almost 100% renewable energy.
make SBB the leading mobility service provider in Switzerland and an international benchmark.
High service quality, technological excellence and consistent customer focus make SBB the leading mobility service provider in Switzerland and an international benchmark.
Initial Situation
The operational readiness of SBB’s rolling stock is ensured across 19 industrial plants and service facilities. Each location operates a wide range of technical assets that require both preventive and corrective maintenance.
Before the project began, however, the sites worked with different process models, isolated IT solutions, and in some cases without any digital support. This resulted in significant drawbacks:
- lack of comparability
- high manual effort
- reactive instead of preventive maintenance
- no central reporting
- limited control and steering capabilities
To address these challenges and establish a strategic, future-oriented maintenance approach, the INSTAM program (INStandhaltung AnlagenManagement) was launched.
Project Goal
The goal of the project was to establish a unified, scalable, and fully digital maintenance platform based on SAP PM:
Central cost and performance transparency
All maintenance orders were to be recorded according to their origin and analyzed consistently across all locations.
Increased asset availability
Preventive maintenance, reliable planning, and standardized processes were intended to significantly improve technical availability.
Standardized maintenance processes
A harmonized process model was to serve as the foundation for efficiency, comparability, and future optimization initiatives. Another key requirement was the introduction of a consolidated maintenance history to identify patterns, recurring issues, and optimization potential at an early stage.
Challenges
SBB faced the challenge of transforming 19 locations with highly diverse process landscapes into a centralized, unified, and strategically manageable maintenance system. Over the years, individual procedures had evolved, supported by various standalone solutions—resulting in maintenance activities that were predominantly reactive and not sufficiently data-driven.
With no unified data foundation in place, maintenance histories, costs, and KPIs could only be analyzed to a limited extent. The large number of maintenance objects and the high technical complexity further intensified these issues.
It became clear that without harmonized SAP PM processes, neither transparency nor a future-ready, preventive maintenance strategy would be achievable. Read more about our challenges in Asset Lifecycle Management.
System
With the implementation of SAP Plant Maintenance (SAP PM), SBB established a scalable, fully integrated platform for its entire maintenance management landscape.
All technical objects were centrally recorded, systematically classified, and enriched with the relevant attributes. Preventive maintenance plans automatically generate work orders, enabling precise resource planning, while the structured handling of malfunctions ensures that planners can respond immediately to equipment failures.
A consolidated BI history report provides comprehensive KPIs and maintenance data across all locations. As a result, SAP PM has become the strategic control instrument for SBB’s harmonized maintenance environment.
Project INSTAM Key Figures at a Glance
19
Locations
Unified SAP PM Processes
Standardized end-to-end processes for maintenance planning, execution, and reporting
Central Cost Transparency
End-to-end cost allocation
1
SAP PM System Platform
INSTAM created a unified foundation for maintenance across all sites and enabled preventive maintenance instead of predominantly reactive measures.
The system maps all maintenance objects, automatically generates maintenance orders, and enables transparent analysis of costs and performance.
Through a phased implementation approach, close collaboration with key users, and the use of existing system landscapes, both effort and costs were kept low.
Asset availability increased, costs were reduced, and a transparent, comparable data foundation was established across all sites.
Outlook
The harmonized SAP PM landscape forms the foundation for further digitalization initiatives. The significantly improved data quality unlocks new possibilities for advanced analytics, predictive maintenance, and AI-driven optimization.
Mobile applications will enable real-time documentation directly at the asset, while automated workflows will further reduce administrative effort. Thanks to the standardized processes, the solution can also be gradually extended to additional areas.
With INSTAM, SBB has established the basis for efficient, cost-effective, and data-driven maintenance—creating long-term competitive advantages.
Would you like to modernize your maintenance?
Our experts support you in harmonizing, digitalizing, and optimizing your maintenance processes with SAP EAM. Contact us for a personal consultation!
Your Contact
Ewald Rehm
Partner & Managing Director
valantic Division SAP Services