Digital solutions for better LRT-1 customer experience

A TOTAL of 24 varied mobile solutions were generated to make riding the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line-1 a breeze during the recent hackathon “HackaTren 2018” at the Manila Grand Opera Hotel, Manila.

Organized by the Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), in partnership with the Hub of Innovation for Inclusion (HIFI) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), the competition aimed to crowdsource ideas and solutions to further help improve customer experience on the LRT-1.

Tara! Customer Experience Management System, pitched by Team NyxDev, comprised of system developers Daniel Quiming, Jet Alcantara, and James de Perio, edged out the competition and won a P100,000-cash prize. The system

customer feedback management, rewards system and advertising using technologies such as RFID and augmented reality (AR).

Runners-up were Team AR Botics with their proposal CommutAR, an AR platform that provides users with trip and tourism information, and the Team National Teachers’ College with their Light Manila app for trip planning and online purchase of tickets.

Prior to the competition, DLSCSB HIFI oriented participants on the design thinking process, LRMC President and CEO Juan Alfonso (leftmost), HIFI Social Designer and Director Abigail Mapua- Cabanilla (rightmost) with winners James de Perio, Damiel Quiming, and Jet Alcantara of Team NyxDev.

where the “trifecta for innovation, namely, desirability, feasibility, and viability” were reiterated for the programs and IT solutions to be presented on the hack day, ensuring customer-centric solutions.

Challenges presented to the participants included: how commuting experiences can be more entertaining and relaxing; how

to leverage technology to make commuting a social activity; how to make LRT-1 as a top-of-mind alternative for commuters to beat

- laxing LRT-1 experience for tired and weary commuters; how to provide opportunities for commuters to schedule their ride effectively so they may arrive to their destination

on time; and how to make LRT-1 work-friendly so people will be able to use their time productively while commuting.

HackaTren 2018 winners were determined based on the value, design, quality and uniqueness of the proposed solutions.

The panel of judges included LRMC CEO Jose F. Alfonso,

LRMC Corporate Communications Director Rochelle Gamboa, LRMC Information Management & Technology Head Randy Sac, Asia Society for Social improvement and Sustainable Transformation (ASSIST) Asia Managing Director Sreenivas Narayanan, Chief Evan-

Director Abigail M. Cabanilla.