We are proud to share that our partner, Avanti West Coast, has been shortlisted for Mobile Innovation of the Year at the UK IT Industry Awards 2025. The UK IT Industry Awards are among the most prestigious in the sector, celebrating projects that create meaningful impact through innovation and collaboration.

The nomination highlights Solano, Mistral Data’s groundbreaking mobile app,  developed together to transform how more than 3,500 Avanti colleagues access information, manage daily tasks, and deliver better service to passengers. By working closely with Avanti’s teams, we were able to design, build, and customise Solano around real-world workflows, ensuring colleagues have the right information at the right time to enhance both efficiency and the customer experience.

Why Solano Stands Out?

When we first partnered with Avanti West Coast, their colleagues were faced with a clear challenge. Vital operational data was fragmented across multiple systems, creating inefficiencies and unnecessary frustration in their daily work. Together, we set out to address this by designing a mobile platform that would provide colleagues with easy access to all the information they needed.

The result is Solano, a revolutionary digital solution that brings critical information together in one intuitive mobile application. From real-time rail service updates and reservation and occupancy details to dynamic staff diagrams and streamlined incident and defect reporting, Solano brings together all the tools our colleagues rely on in one place. This seamless integration improves accessibility to essential data and eliminates the disruptions caused by outdated or disparate systems.

By simplifying the way colleagues access operational information, Solano enables them to work more efficiently, provide a better standard of customer service and maintain greater safety and operational reliability across the network.

Key features bringing real benefits include:

• Real-time data integration – synchronising with live rail service feeds and reservation systems so colleagues always have the latest updates for customers.
• Offline-first architecture – ensuring schedules and reporting tools remain available even in low connectivity areas.
• Passenger assistance and bike reservation notifications – helping staff respond faster to customer needs.
• Dynamic staff diagram visibility – allowing colleagues to view and adjust schedules in real time.
• Incident reporting – cutting down reporting time with simple forms and photo attachments, automatically linked to the right train or station.
• Berth maps and train formation details – giving colleagues full visibility of network traffic and detailed train layouts.

Collaboration at the Core

What makes Solano truly powerful is not just the technology but also the way it was built. We collaborated closely with Avanti West Coast’s Team, conducting agile sprints and pilot phases involving over 150 frontline colleagues. Their feedback shaped every aspect of the project, from the design of the interface to the functionality that made it into the app.

While our developers and UX designers collaborated directly with Avanti’s team, we also provided 24/7 technical support to guarantee scalability and reliability. This approach enabled us to move quickly, adapt based on real-world feedback, and deliver a product that colleagues genuinely want to use.

Delivering Results That Matter

Since launch, the results have been both measurable and meaningful, demonstrating strong adoption and real operational improvements across Avanti West Coast. Solano has made a tangible difference in areas ranging from incident reporting to shift preparation to the sustainability of day-to-day processes. These outcomes reflect not only efficiency gains, but also how technology, when designed around the needs of frontline teams, can reshape culture, strengthen reliability and enhance the customer experience.

Measurable and meaningful results include:

• 80% workforce adoption within six months of launch.
• 40% reduction in incident reporting time (from 12 minutes down to 7).
• 30% cut in paper-based processes, supporting sustainability initiatives.
• 20% fewer service delays, reducing disruption for passengers.
• Over 2,800 downloads and 600+ daily active users.

We’ve also seen strong engagement with Solano’s feedback loop, which has generated more than 50 user suggestions in the past year, with 20+ already implemented. Regular updates mean the app keeps evolving in step with colleagues’ needs, reinforcing trust and loyalty.

Built for the Future

Solano is designed to scale, adapt, and remain resilient. Its modular architecture allows us to roll out new features rapidly, from HR integrations to colleague feedback modules, without disruption.

Looking ahead, we’ll continue to enhance Solano with features that support sustainability, efficiency, and customer experience. For us, seeing Avanti West Coast being shortlisted for Mobile Innovation of the Year is a proud moment that validates our mission: to use technology and collaboration to deliver real-world impact in the rail industry.

The winners of the 2025 UK IT Industry Awards will be announced later this year, and we’re honoured Solano is getting recognition for making a difference