Bettina Bernhard
ECM REGULATION 2019/779: IT'S GETTING SERIOUS
Post from 7. June 2022
The new ECM Regulation (ECM (EU) 2019/779) came into force in June 2020. In the course of this, companies were offered a transition period, which now ends on June 16, 2022. More than 700 companies have already been certified since then, or have renewed or changed their certification. (Source: Eradis – European Railway Agency Database of Interoperability and Safety).
The aim of the ECM Regulation is to guarantee quality, transparency and traceability in rail transport, including the proper and regulation-compliant maintenance of rolling stock. Therefore, after the transition period expires in mid-June 2022, all ECM bodies must be certified. Vehicles without valid ECM certification will consequently be removed from the vehicle register and maintenance functions without a recognized VO (EU) 2019/779 certificate of conformity will no longer be allowed to continue their activities as such.
ECM certification is required for:
The ECM Regulation introduces a two-stage evaluation procedure. In the stage 1 audit, the relevance of the required documents according to the certification requirements from the ECM Regulation Annex II is checked. The stage 2 audit specifically addresses the implemented maintenance management system and inspects the selected processes.
Certification Body RCC – Railway Competence and Certification
Railway Competence and Certification GmbH is an independent accredited body for the railroad system in the European Union, which performs audits and certifications of maintenance organizations. In the webinar „Digitalization in an ECM driven environment“ which took place in April 2021– as part of the RailVoice webinar series – RCC Managing Director Alexander Schimanofsky presented the certification process for the ECM procedure and showed what companies need for a successful audit.
“Efficient planning, preparation and documentation of rail vehicle maintenance is, in addition to professional/technical competence, an essential prerequisite for successful activity as an ECM and/or as a maintenance company and, subsequently, for safe operation of the rail system”. – says Alexander Schimanofsky.
ECM compliant software solution from BOOM – The maintenance solution for the roles ECM 2 to ECM 4
BOOM Rail Solutions were developed specifically for the international rail industry and are based on the requirements of the ECM regulation. This makes the modular standard software products of BOOM Rail Solutions the first solutions on the market that take the ECM Regulation into account at their core. The product portfolio supports ECM 2, ECM 3 and ECM 4 managers in complying with the ECM guidelines. The solution has been developed from practical experience in cooperation with various companies in the railroad industry, which is reflected in the user-friendliness and practicality of the products.
It is one of the tasks of the BOOM rail experts to deal with the standards and guidelines in the international rail environment, on the basis of which the rail solutions are created and the customers can be served optimally.
You can find out more about BOOM Software’s ECM-compliant solutions here.
LOCMASTA: Best Practice in the maintenance delivery function
A flagship example in the maintenance delivery function is LOCMASTA – LOCMASTA – a joint venture of ÖBB, ELL, and ETL. Two years after its establishment, the modern drive-in workshop received ECM 4 certification at the beginning of April and has been officially in operation since May 20. The “Rail Workshop” software solution from BOOM is used on the shopfloor to ensure proper operational maintenance in accordance with the regulation (ECM) 2019/779. Together with BOOM Software, LOCMASTA has developed a software solution that is 100% ECM-compliant for them on the basis of the standard software, which at the same time also improves usability in everyday workshop work.
Managing director Armin Wohlfahrter and authorized representative Thomas Kollnig talked in an interview about the challenges regarding the ECM regulation and how they experienced the certification process. You can read the interview here: With BOOM Rail Solutions to seamless, ECM-compliant documentation
ECM compliance in your company
Would you like more information about the ECM regulation and how our software solutions can help you work according to the standard? Then contact our ECM experts (railexperts@boomsoftware.com) for a free consultation to find out about your options.
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