WABCO Success Story

WABCO is one of the world’s leading suppliers of systems and technologies that enhance the safety and efficiency of commercial vehicles. Headquartered in Brussels, the company employs 16,000 people across 40 countries, developing advanced braking, stability, suspension and drive systems for heavy commercial vehicles.

The Challenge 

By 2011, WABCO’s maintenance teams faced growing pressure to keep production facilities and building services running smoothly. Existing processes were fragmented, response times to faults were slow, and reporting lacked consistency. Flexibility was critical: the company needed a system that could adapt to complex workflows, allow staff to access relevant information quickly, and ensure that mandatory inspections and recurring tasks were never overlooked.

For UK estates teams, these challenges are familiar. Councils, NHS Trusts, universities and housing associations often struggle with disconnected systems, poor visibility of asset condition, and compliance risk under the Building Safety Act and SFG20. Duty holders also face increasing pressure to evidence inspections and remedial actions as part of the Golden Thread.

The Solution 

In 2012, WABCO implemented VertiGIS FM to manage machine maintenance, inspections, building technology, project planning and warehouse operations. The platform enabled fault reporting, periodic maintenance scheduling and transparent workflows. Device structures were standardised, allowing complete maintenance strategies to be created rather than piecemeal measures. Mandatory and recurring tasks were planned in advance, ensuring compliance and reducing risk.

VertiGIS FM’s flexibility meant the system could be tailored to WABCO’s operational requirements, while its intuitive interface gave staff quick access to the information they needed. Mobile and offline capabilities ensured field teams could record work wherever they were, creating a verifiable audit trail that supports Golden Thread requirements. This provides audit ready evidence of duty holder responsibilities under the Building Safety Act and provides records suitable for statutory inspections and insurance audits.

The Result 

Today, more than 5,000 work orders are processed successfully each month, with 750 employees using VertiGIS FM across all sites. Transparency and availability have improved dramatically: response times to production disruptions are shorter, causes of damage are analysed more quickly, and recurring faults are immediately visible. Daily reporting provides facts and figures that support faster decision making and audit ready compliance evidence.

As a result, downtime and repair costs have been significantly reduced, and required working time has been cut by a third. WABCO’s estates and maintenance teams now have confidence that their processes are compliant, efficient and resilient. Efficiency gains also contribute to sustainability reporting by evidencing reduced downtime, energy waste and resource use.

“It was the right decision,” says Maintenance Coordinator Thorsten Seegers. “VertiGIS FM has proven its worth for building management and maintenance over many years. The adaptability of a web based solution that combines building technology and maintenance in one platform is exactly what we were looking for.” Thorsten Seegers, Maintenance Coordinator, WABCO.