Our trade
Expertise
Since the beginning, IKOS has been continuously developing expertise in the fields of operational safety, V&V (verification & validation), T&C (testing & commissioning), and transversally in project management.
Operational safety
Operational safety covers systems availability and safety and comprises the following major divisions: Reliability, Availability, Maintainability (RAM), and Functional Safety. Operational safety demonstrates that equipment and systems can provide a service safely. This engineering activity is present from the pre-project stage right through to commissioning. This is applied intrinsically to projects comprising RAMS requirements and must be conducted independently of the design teams. [LG8] The design and commissioning of railway systems and equipment must comply with regulatory requirements and standards such as the CENELEC railway standards EN 50126, EN 50128, and EN 50129.
To meet these challenges, we are continuously strengthening our expertise in operational safety, thanks to our experienced consultants and training programs.
In 2021, in our mission to offer more complete and effective service, IKOS acquired the British company, AEGIS, a company renowned for their independent compliance certification body, AEGIS Certification Services. This body certifies rolling stock, technical, organizational, and operational changes, as well as the safety of components and systems. They also handle independent cybersecurity and software certifications.
V&V
The ISO 9001 standard recommends verification activities for every production activity. This idea is also strongly advised for software covered by standard EN50128. The latter requires verification activities at every stage of the V-cycle, to demonstrate that production phases comply with the specifications completed by validation, demonstrating that the final product complies with the need.
IKOS engineers have the knowledge and capacity to see through activities throughout the V-cycle in the areas of expertise presented above.
For many years IKOS has been a privileged partner in V&V activities for manufacturers in the sector. This is illustrated in our work in ATC systems, ERTMS and Interlocking.
T&C
Testing & commissioning is a phase - or series of activities – that are essential for any rail project. For this reason, we contribute a large part of our resources to this segment.
T&C guarantees that all engineering needs developed during the design phase of a project have been satisfied. It assures that the interfaces between the different systems, including those of third parties, are systematically covered and integrated.
It ensures that the project is safely taken over by the operator; therefore excellent coordination is required between all parties involved.
Project Management
IKOS is involved in the entire project life cycle, from the management to the studies and work on the rail systems and infrastructure. Thanks to our PMI certification, IKOS works transversally on project management activities including: management, leadership, contract, and budget management.
