Disconnected teams and fragmented information
Without a unified platform, collaboration becomes reactive instead of strategic. Operational work silos, relying on separate spreadsheets, emails and disconnected tools means key information is stored across multiple files, meaning no single stakeholder has a complete, real-time view of performance or progress.
Lack of clarity across concurrent projects
When updates, budgets and timelines are tracked manually or across separate systems, visibility is compromised leading to stakeholders struggling to answer critical questions.
No single source of truth
When collaboration is fragmented and approvals unclear, timelines slip. This creates poor communication between internal and external stakeholders, unclear ownership of approvals, lack of structured workflows & no single source of truth.How Cheetah Transformation and Smartsheet can help rail companies
We don’t just deploy software – we will work with you to design transformation ecosystems that will enable rail organisations to manage change with confidence.
Portfolio and programme visibility – create centralised dashboards that provide live updates across transition workstreams – from operational readiness to compliance milestones.
Standardised reporting – we ensure consistent reporting that enables structured oversight and reduced manual effort, as well as the need for standardisation across formerly independent entities.
Cross-organisational collaboration – Smartsheet can break down silos between departments and stakeholders, and even between different operators, with secure, shared workspaces.
Automation at scale – replace spreadsheet-heavy processes with automated workflows, alerts and approvals.
Operational complexity – running live rail services during structural change.
Accountability – the scrutiny and accountability that comes with public ownership.
Powering rail projects with Smartsheet
As a Smartsheet Platinum Partner, we share our expertise with clients to build, implement and support systems that drive project success by enabling you to work smarter, scale efficiently and stay agile, organised and ready for change.
Portfolio dashboard
- Full overview of all projects
- Identify projects that require intervention
- Spot risks and issues sooner, and get back on track
- Automate reporting, saving time
- Full visibility of all activity by region, type, season, and more
Project dashboard
- Track progress across the project
- Project teams are aligned
- Measure progress against budget
- Identify and mitigate risks and issues
- Measure Return on Investment
These examples are for demonstration purposes. When creating solutions, we always build to your specific requirements and ways of working to optimise adoption. The aim is to develop your project faster, speeding up the return on investment whilst massively reducing the manpower required to report on projects.
Rail sector customers using Smartsheet
Why choose Cheetah as your Smartsheet partner in rail?
Industry knowledge
We bring in-depth knowledge of the rail sector and work with leading organisations across the rail industry, combining extensive knowledge of Smartsheet with real-world rail sector experience.
Tailored support for all sizes
We support organisations worldwide with agile, scalable solutions.
Compliant Route to Purchase
While Smartsheet itself is not listed on G-Cloud, Cheetah Transformation is a G-Cloud listed supplier and also Cyber Essentials Plus certified. We work directly with Smartsheet to provide licences and services, giving the rail industry a fully compliant framework route at the same licence cost as purchasing direct..
Smartsheet Specialists
As certified Smartsheet experts, we help the rail industry streamline processes to deliver successful projects more quickly and efficiently..Already a trusted partner of leading rail organisations
We are already supporting leading organisations across the rail industry, including:
- Department for Transport Operator (DFTO)
- Rail Delivery Group (RDG)
- Train operator c2c Rail
- Fares, Ticketing and Retail programme (FTR)
We understand Rail industry transformation is a programme of transitional initiatives that means train operating companies are facing dual pressures – the transition into public ownership under DFTO and preparing for integration into Great British Railways while maintaining current day-to-day operations.
This means PMOs and transformation teams need to:
- Standardise reporting across previously siloed organisations.
- Provide clear visibility upwards into DFTO.
- Manage transition milestones and compliance requirements.
- Maintain service performance while delivering structural change.
- Align processes, governance and ways of working.
- Replace disparate systems with unified, collaborative platforms.
Our experience means we have an in-depth understanding of the regulatory, political and operational landscape rail leaders are navigating today.
c2c brings structure and efficiency to meetings, saving time with Smartsheet and Cheetah Transformation
Each day, thousands of rail commuters make their journey between the Essex coast and central London, and vice versa, with c2c – renowned as one of the UK’s most reliable and well-liked train operators.
With a workforce of around 700 staff – including drivers, conductors and head office teams – c2c plays an essential part in keeping London’s commuter network moving smoothly and punctually.
And with around 150 different types taking place across departments such as finance, compliance, operations, and commercial, c2c called on Cheetah Transformation and Smartsheet to make meeting decisions traceable and accessible across the organisation, reducing meeting fatigue, saving time, and improving accountability.
Read our client storyWe lacked a dependable, centralised system for escalating decisions or communicating outcomes back down the chain
We now don’t need to spend time digging through months of emails to find a particular discussion from a meeting or chase meeting participants for status updates. Those micro-frustrations used to add up and slow everyone down. Now, everything’s in one place, saving us time. I’ve loved working with Cheetah, they’re fantastic at actively listening, interpreting our vision—even when we’re not using technical language—and translating that into a functional solution.
The team was first class all the way
I worked with Gary Thornton and Rob Eberstein from Cheetah on a complex SmartSheet Implementation. I was the Exec Sponsor for the implementation, and could not be happier with the results. The team was first class all the way, and SmartSheet is now a foundational application in my organization for managing both internal and external projects. Gary and Rob always made themselves available, gave expert insights and always delivered. They are also just really great people. I highly recommend them!
5 star services, from start to finish
As a specialist fit out business, it is extremely hard to find a solution that is compatible with our processes & vision. What Cheetah have delivered, has surpass our expectations and I’m excited to see the improvements this will make to our business, and for our delivery partners and clients. Cheetah team have supported us, all the way and been a great bunch of people to work with. We look forward to phase 2, later this year where we introduce other departments & our quality management system integrated into our PMS. See you on Phase 2!
They went above and beyond at every step
Working with Cheetah Transformation has been an outstanding experience that truly elevated our project management capabilities. Gary and Youssef were exceptional throughout—highly knowledgeable, consistently responsive, and a pleasure to partner with. Their solution not only met our needs but transformed the way we manage projects, bringing significantly greater efficiency and transparency to our workflows. They went above and beyond at every step, and we couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Highly recommended.
A great partner for any team looking to improve execution and clarity through smart digital solutions
I highly recommend Youssef for his outstanding support during the Smartsheet implementation. His deep understanding of both the tool and the needs of our teams led to the development of a robust solution that brought much-needed transparency to our project management processes. Youssef went beyond expectations—not only ensuring the system was technically solid, but also continuously improving it by adding meaningful information while simplifying the inputs required from users. His ability to balance structure with usability made a real difference in user adoption and overall project visibility. A great partner for any team looking to improve execution and clarity through smart digital solutions.
Outstanding service and expertise – driving productivity and collaboration at scale
We’ve been working closely with Cheetah Transformation, and I cannot overstate the value that they bring to our team. Their depth of knowledge in Smartsheet, combined with their responsiveness, problem-solving mindset, and consistently friendly demeanor, has made a huge difference to our operations. Smartsheet, when implemented effectively, is a game-changer. It automates repetitive project tasks, provides intuitive and visually engaging dashboards, and creates a single source of truth that enhances visibility across functions. With Cheetah Transformation’s expert support, we were able to harness these capabilities — saving time, increasing productivity, and improving collaboration across multiple teams and time zones.
Moving from a siloed way of working to a centralised approach has been really helpful.
We now have a solid foundation to identify inefficiencies, spot gaps in responsibility, and flag issues early without having to dig through email chains from months ago
We have eliminated manual and repetitive tasks and improved real-time collaboration and productivity.
As a result, we’re seeing significant returns on investment.
Excellent support and solutions from Rob & Hanna
Our events team have worked with Cheetah Transformation for over a year now, and they have helped us create a bespoke project management tool with Smartsheet, that has been pivotal in the way we work and how we report on our business.
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