Modern Access to the Art and Technology Intertwined in Russian Railways
The Russian railway and metro system is a place of marvel by design. Originating nearly one hundred years ago (1938), this transportation system has come to be known as the “palace of the people” and is recognized for its beautiful design, both architecturally and decoratively. Sculptures, mosaics, and even chandeliers adorn the stations. As recently as 2017, the metro system featured works of art from the Treytakov State Gallery known for having one of the largest collections of Russian fine art. Though the aesthetic marvel is unmatched, this transportation system required a modern update to inform the public about schedules in a modern manner. Software development engineer Andrei Chmelev of CTI worked on this project which served the Unified Contact Center for TransTeleCom and Russian Railways. As the leader of the team on this CTI project, Mr. Chemelev provided the tech “yin” to the railways “yang’ which blended the sense of art and history with a very modern user experience. Winner of an international Global Telecoms Business Innovation Award (2017) as the most successful telecommunication project in the Innovation Awards category, CTI is one of Russia’s leady IT brands. The company was recognized (2013) as Russia’s fastest growing business in the high-tech and telecommunications sphere.
Essentially, Russian railways required a better means of monitoring the current state of numerous schedules and allowing their users (as well as their infrastructure) to be aware of them. The herculean task of Andrei and his team was to find the means to do this while making it incredibly easy for both sides of the equation to use and understand. Further complicating this is the fact that we all want our devices to deliver this information immediately, if not sooner. Andrei designed and implemented a user-friendly interface which made use of Angular and TypeScript to enhance operator efficiency and customer satisfaction. Further impactful was the system integration of the contact center with eGain and Cisco Finesse, improving telephony quality and optimizing customer service operations. Modernization of the transport layer and implementation of monitoring tools had the benefit of increasing system reliability and performance.
Designing something that worked with Cisco’s preexisting infrastructure meant building “around” something well established; a less-than-ideal scenario but one which often presents itself to Andrei. This mirrors the main concept of this entire project; communication is the keystone that holds the entire structure together. Chmelev took a deep dive into Cisco’s architecture and developed solutions to synchronize the user interface with its services. Using Angular and Kendo UI, he designed a clean user-friendly interface which enabled operators to easily navigate data. The use of WebSockets allowed real-time notifications and immediate responses to schedule changes and customer queries. New customizable dashboards were created to enhance the decision making of supervisors. The ability to communicate and respond at a moment’s notice was the aim of this “holistic” approach to Russian railway issues. Mr. Chmelev asserts that an inquisitive nature led him down this vocational path which has established him as a leader in the industry. He comments, “A natural curiosity and passion for problem-solving provided the foundation but achieving success in this field required continuous learning and practice. Over the years, I’ve honed my skills through hands-on experience, adapting to new technologies and methodologies. While I do believe that natural aptitude helps, dedication and perseverance are equally essential. I started by building a strong foundation in programming languages and frameworks relevant to my interests and continued focusing on understanding core principles, such as algorithms, data structures, and system design. I’ve always embraced hands-on projects to apply theoretical knowledge, while maintain a curiosity about emerging technologies. Perhaps most importantly, the cultivation of problem-solving skills is critical to succeeding in this field.”
Writer : Winston Scott