Case Study: REFER cuts speed‑limitation approval time from 1 month to 1 week and automates nationwide document delivery with OutSystems

Refer develops a web application to automate communication between train stations

REFER, the organization that manages Portugal’s railway infrastructure, faced a slow, manual process for issuing and sharing train speed limitations: relevant data lived in multiple systems, approvals relied on paper and email, and station notifications were time-consuming. They needed a centralized, automated system with workflow control and role-based access to speed up this mission-critical operation.

Using the OutSystems Platform, REFER launched the eLV web application to integrate existing systems, enforce standard approval workflows via email links, automatically generate and distribute documents to affected stations via Web Services, and provide interactive maps, charts and role-specific interfaces. The result: approval time fell from one month to one week (75% faster), roughly 1,000 documents are delivered daily, integrations and components are reusable, and the system offers real-time status monitoring, automated damage calculations and easy future extensions.

REFER

Eduardo Freitas

CIO