On 20 March 2025, the Sounding Board Audit4All meeting was held at the Infrabel office in Belgium and online, bringing together key stakeholders to review the progress and future roadmap. Philip Van den Bosch from the UIC Freight Department gave an introduction reflecting on the journey since the project’s launch last year and shared an initial look at the tool, which is set to revolutionise supplier audits in the railway sector.

Project overview

Stefan Hackl, Rail Cargo Group, provided an update on the legal framework before highlighting the project’s vision: a collaborative audit programme that unites railway companies with shared suppliers. By streamlining audits across quality, safety, environmental, and sustainability aspects, the programme minimises redundancy, reduces costs, and enhances efficiency - creating a more transparent and resilient supply chain.

He also highlighted the key deliverables, which include benchmarking industry best practices, creating standardised frameworks, implementing a unified audit programme, enhancing audit efficiency through the shared tool, and exploring sustainable business models.

The initiative improves legal compliance, expands risk coverage, reduces costs, and delivers an immediate return on investment. Additionally, the audits align with ISO and other relevant standards within a structured framework, with the project ensuring compliance with competition laws, liability regulations, intellectual property rights, and GDPR.

Updates on the tool

Philip Van Den Bosch gave a presentation on the tool’s functional specifications, joint process flows, and onboarding procedures. The UIC landing page will serve as the primary access point.

User experience:

• User dashboard for intuitive access to audit reports and compliance data
• Document upload after testing against standards for streamlined data management
• Calendar view for transparent audit planning across organisations
• GDPR and legal compliance, prioritising secure collaboration

Business model and users

A hybrid pricing structure will include subscriptions, freemium access, and tiered pricing. Early adopters will also receive participation discounts. User categories include railway members, suppliers, and auditors.

The next Sounding Board is planned for early October, with ongoing input welcomed to ensure sector-wide benefits.