Rail Professional, March 2025, Page 70
In Conversation with Subbu Bhat, Interim President and Head of Engineering at Tideworks
You joined Tideworks six months ago after two decades in eCommerce and payments at Amazon, Expedia, and GoDaddy. What attracted you to the intermodal rail space, and how does your experience building highly available transaction systems translate to terminal operations software?
What drew me to Tideworks and the rail industry was the opportunity to work on technology with a direct, tangible impact on the global supply chain. The software affects how cargo moves, how people and equipment are coordinated, and ultimately the efficiency and safety of operations.
eCommerce focuses on highly available systems, but outcomes are digital. While Tideworks’ platform is a SaaS solution, the results are very much physical. Our customers see real results: more productive moves, on-time delivery, and software that supports day-to-day operations in real time.
My experience building scalable, high-accuracy systems maps directly to terminal operations, where software orchestrates people, equipment, and assets.
IPRO is deployed at over 85 terminals globally, from small conventional facilities to massive automated hubs like BNSF’s Logistics Park Kansas City. How do you architect a single platform that scales from minimal to fully automated functionality without becoming bloated or experiencing configuration drift?
IPRO is often associated with fully automated terminals, but it was built to support all rail and intermodal operations. From conventional and semi-automated facilities to large-scale automated hubs like BNSF’s Logistics Park Kansas City, the platform scales through configuration, so the TOS avoids bloat, limits configuration drift, and remains efficient at every level of maturity.
Conventional terminal operators worry that modern TOS will force them into unnecessary workflows that hurt efficiency. IPRO avoids that by preserving existing workflows, roles, and resource models without adding back-office planners. Features are available when they add value and remain out of the way when they do not. For example, outbound loading at conventional terminals often relies on shotgun processes, and IPRO supports that without forcing planning processes designed for larger facilities.
IPRO simplifies what legacy systems make complicated by reducing multi-screen inventory updates to “select a container, click where you want it moved.” How do you balance building powerful functionality with maintaining operational simplicity for such diverse user needs?
User interface and usability are among our top priorities. Operators shouldn’t need a PhD in computer science to use our systems. Terminals operate in real time, and software has to match that pace rather than forcing operators into multi-step workflows that slow them down. Operational simplicity is about removing friction for the people running live terminal operations.
IPRO is designed around user intent. If an operator needs to move a container, the system makes that action clear and fast. The platform handles the underlying logic. This approach keeps the complexity within the system rather than with the user, supporting a wide range of roles across the terminal, from clerks and equipment operators to supervisors managing the entire operation.
“Operational simplicity is about removing friction for the people running live terminal operations.”
You’re building features like blue flag controls that directly impact worker safety. How does developing safety-critical software for physical logistics differ from digital commerce, and what engineering practices ensure the reliability these mission-critical operations demand?
The margin for error is much smaller in physical operations. In digital commerce, a defect might result in a failed transaction or a poor customer experience. In terminal operations, a defect can create dangerous working conditions.
That reality shapes how we design, test, and deploy software. Features like blue flag controls are critical safety systems. We apply strict validation, clear state management, and careful rollout practices to make sure they operate reliably. We also emphasize visibility and transparency so operators and support teams can understand exactly what the system is doing at any moment.
Terminal View takes visibility even further with its interactive 3D renderings of the rail yard. Operators can see where containers, equipment, and personnel are in real time, forecast upcoming activities, and make faster, more confident decisions. With rail yards under increasing pressure to boost throughput, visualization tools are essential not only for efficiency but for maintaining safety.
Rail networks often run different TOS versions across terminals, making coordination nearly impossible. How are you approaching version consistency and deployment for software controlling physical operations that cannot stop?
Many rail operators come to Tideworks facing this exact challenge. Networks cannot operate effectively if every terminal is running a different version of the TOS. Fragmentation stunts coordination, support, and innovation, and it can slow operations and create safety risks. With IPRO, the same platform works across fully automated hubs and conventional facilities, allowing operators to simplify operations and keep the network aligned.
We standardize the core platform while making upgrades predictable, incremental, and reversible. Whether a terminal is on premises, in the cloud, or in a hybrid environment, the goal is the same: maintain operational consistency, ensure safety, and keep rail yards running smoothly.
Tideworks’ BUOY solution allows operators to install, configure, and manage software across multiple terminals. BUOY acts like an app store for the TOS, integrating with tools like Jira to enforce version control and reduce the risk of errors. With BUOY, operators can execute upgrades in hours, while maintaining operational consistency, minimizing risk, and keeping rail yards safe.
You’re working with major customers like CSX, BNSF, and Canadian National where downtime halts supply chain infrastructure. How does this operational criticality influence your engineering philosophy and team structure?
When downtime stops supply chains, engineering decisions have immense consequences. This reality shapes how we build technology and teams. Our engineering, Professional Services, support teams, and customers work closely. Terminal software must reflect real workflows and cannot be developed in isolation from operations.
We invest in people who understand both technology and the terminal environment. Our focus is on building and supporting systems that are stable, reliable, and maintainable. In large-scale infrastructure, stability and visibility are just as important as speed, because both operators and support teams need software they can depend on to keep rail terminals safe and running smoothly.
Where do you see the biggest opportunities for technology to transform rail terminal operations over the next three to five years, and what lessons from digital commerce evolution should rail logistics be paying attention to?
The next phase is about intelligence and coordination. Many terminals already have digital systems, but many are fragmented. The biggest improvements will come from building a strong, trusted data foundation, and then applying AI, predictive analytics, and automation. We can automate processes such as planning or gate operations, but those transformations have to be purposeful and guided by the data.
A modern terminal operating system acts as a unified platform. Unlike isolated point solutions, a platform allows terminals to scale operations, integrate AI-driven planning, and expand automation. By investing in a flexible, extensible TOS built on reliable data, terminals can improve efficiency, safety, and decision-making across the rail terminal while remaining ready to adapt as volumes, technology, and operational needs evolve.