Avanti West Coast launches industry-first AI-powered employee innovation platform

Avanti West Coast has launched a pioneering digital platform enabling employees to submit, develop and deliver ideas to improve services and the customer experience, marking a first for the rail industry.

The programme, titled Ignite a Change, gives all employees access to a cloud-based ideas management platform across the intercity operator. The technology allows employees to put forward suggestions in response to specific business challenges, collaborate with colleagues and follow ideas through to implementation.

AI-powered platform embeds staff ideas into daily operations

Developed in partnership with Sideways 6, the platform is powered by artificial intelligence and integrates with tools already used by Avanti West Coast teams, including Microsoft Teams. The system automatically groups similar ideas, suggests related topics and streamlines how teams capture, review and act on submissions, ensuring every idea is acknowledged.

Accessible via web browser or mobile app, Ignite a Change gives all employees a platform that encourages organisation-wide collaboration. Staff can view, comment on and engage with ideas from across the business, creating a more inclusive and transparent approach to innovation.

Frontline proposals move rapidly from ideas to implementation

Several staff-led proposals are already progressing towards delivery. These include giving frontline teams greater authority to apologise and resolve customer issues on the spot, alongside improvements to onboard announcements.

Anita Brown, Head of Innovation and Engagement at Avanti West Coast, said: “Our people have amazing ideas to improve how we deliver our service. Ignite a Change is about helping our staff to make those happen.

“The initiative has given us a brilliant opportunity to partner with Sideways 6 to do something pioneering for the rail industry. We’ve created a simple, user-friendly platform where anyone can quickly share their suggestions. By harnessing the ideas of our staff in this way, we can make a significant and far-reaching impact on the customer experience across the West Coast and beyond.”

Sideways 6’s parent company, Interact Software, which specialises in employee communication software, supports the programme.

Simon Dance, CEO of Interact Software, added: “Partnering with Avanti West Coast on this initiative has been a brilliant opportunity to bring the power of employee ideas to the forefront of the rail industry. At Interact, we believe that when organisations truly listen to their people, innovation follows.

“With Sideways 6 employee ideas sit at the heart of that belief, helping companies capture ideas at scale and turn them into meaningful outcomes. By combining our employee ideas technology with the tools Avanti’s teams already use every day, we’re proud to support a more open, collaborative culture where every employee has a voice, and every suggestion has the potential to drive real impact.”