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About Us

Our Foundations

Graffica was created as a start-up business in 2000 by its two founding directors, Mike Vere and Mike Ballone, to leverage their expertise in software architecture, simulation, modelling and systems analysis.

Having successfully built the business to be a recognised provider of Air Traffic Management simulators and operational systems, they believed that they could also make a real contribution, through simulation and analysis, to help the rail industry solve its challenges. Using the proven Graffica System Development Kit and Graffica’s software and simulation expertise they developed HERMES, which is now an industry proven railway simulation platform. In addition, Graffica has built a rail team with extensive rail domain expertise who can provide a wide range of railway analysis, consultancy, and software solutions.

Our Purpose

“Improving lives through intelligent solutions for transport challenges.”

Graffica’s purpose is to create a brighter future for everyone through improving transport. We solve real problems together, making the world more available and efficient. We never stop learning and strive to bring out the best in ourselves.

Our Values

At Graffica, we work closely with our customers to clarify their ideas and utilise their expertise to guide us in effective system designs. Attentive and investigative staff gain a full understanding of our customer’s requirements, establishing and recognising the constraints and timescales of the customer.

We help to manage the complexities of real-world systems and operations and by rationalising the problems that need to be solved. Together, we achieve efficiencies and enhance system safety to make tangible improvements to the lives of the travelling public.

Collaborative Exploration

“We journey with you to create solutions in partnership.”

We know that solutions are not always immediately clear so together we have to innovate and discover to arrive at practical solutions. We pride ourselves on building personal relationships with clients and interacting at all levels, relying on one another to bring ideas to life.

Delivering Right

“We analyse the true problem to deliver a faithful result.”

The envisioned solution is not necessarily the final solution. We use our technical competence and industry knowledge to delve deep into the problem and root out the core requirements. We are always conscious of our clients’ constraints while maximising our output and make sure that we do right by them.

Teamwork

“We work together to achieve more.”

The whole is more than the sum of its parts and a team is no different. We value our colleagues and always live by collaboration. We also celebrate the individual, encouraging personal growth and rewarding success. We engage with and hire exceptional people who will work with us to enhance the company.

Drive

“We venture forward with enthusiasm and ambition.”

Whether through passion for transport, software or problem solving, we are motivated to resolve our client’s problems. We empathise with them to understand the fundamental obstacles and enthusiastically work with them to overcome the challenges together.

Integrity

“We build relationships with honesty and respect.”

Both within our team and with our clients, we depend on each other to be truthful and respectful. The personal relationships we nurture are mutual and enable open communication. We do not take advantage of others nor hide behind falsities. Through trust and dependability, we can say what we mean and ensure we deliver what we say.

Responsive Flexibility

“We learn and adapt to conquer the challenge.”

We know the objectives can initially be blurred and we do not enter a challenge with a prescriptive solution. We remain open-minded and proactive, responding adaptably to changing needs. We never stop learning individually, as teams and with our clients. With focus and agility, we know we can solve the challenges that lie ahead.

Our Undertaking

Graffica offers first class expertise in software development and its application in writing simulation and operational software. We are successful because we develop a full understanding of the needs and requirements of our customers and solve those needs. Our software development expertise is used to build models and apply knowledge from algorithm design and software architectures to make the models interoperable.

We apply this approach and endeavour to improve people’s lives.

Our Keystone

Any successful business needs to be built on firm foundations, and Graffica has adopted a modular approach to its software development, encouraging reuse, extensibility, and common building blocks from which our software is constructed. This is realised in the Graffica System Development Kit (GSDK), which offers an architectural toolkit to support loosely coupled functional components that may be deployed and configured to offer a highly capable modelling platform.

Using the GSDK toolkit has given Graffica the agility to respond rapidly to requests ranging from prototypes and concept demonstrators through to fully integrated systems.

TRUSTED BY

Our Senior Management Team

Our team has extensive experience of managing and delivering software projects, products and consultancy in the Air Traffic Management and Rail domains. Our specialist managers, analysts and software developers can help you solve your transport challenges and create innovative software solutions

David Franco

Head of Graffica

Paul Fleming

Operations Director

Dan Hargreaves

Lead Technologist

David Franco

Head of Graffica

Drawn to real-world practical problem-solving after receiving an MMath from the University of Leeds in 2010, David has worked in the software industry for over 10 years.  Having held several roles within Graffica covering many aspects of software engineering and delivery management, David now leads the business in its new life as a part of Sopra Steria as it looks to bring the capability to a wider audience.

Responsibilities?
Overall strategic leadership of the business, ensuring we all work as one to achieve the best that we can for both us and our clients.

Experience/value? 
Over 10 years working in the software industry ranging from open and flexible simulation platforms through to regulated cybersecure and safety-critical operational systems.

Motivation?
Addressing our clients’ challenges in smart and collaborative ways, bettering the world for it.

Paul Fleming

Operations Director

After graduating with a degree in Chemistry from the University of Birmingham, Paul has worked in the software industry since 1994.  He has an extensive experience of managing the delivery of many complex projects and programmes, and leading multi-disciplined teams.  Paul joined Graffica in April 2021 and is responsible for the successful delivery of client and business outcomes across the Graffica project teams.

Responsibilities?
Project delivery including continual process improvements and project quality assurance. Paul is responsible for leading the customer engagement and supporting business development activities.

Experience/value? 
Paul has worked in the software industry for more than 25 years and, since joining Graffica, has worked on numerous projects including CCS modelling projects, HERMES enhancement projects, and a 3D simulation project.

Motivation?
Getting stuff done.  Nothing is more rewarding than the completion of a project or programme where the client is fully engaged, risks and issues are managed, and success is achieved as a team.

Dan Hargreaves

Lead Technologist

Dan joined Graffica after graduating from Aston University with a degree in Computer Science and Business.  Wanting to pursue software development, Dan was initially involved in our air traffic simulation projects before moving to work on our operational systems.  Since joining in 2006, Dan has performed a number of roles including software design and development, providing on-site support to clients and being responsible for the Graffica toolkit which he continues to lead.

Responsibilities?
Leading on our use of technology to allow our development team to provide first-class software solutions to our clients.

Experience/value? 
Dan has over 15 years' experience working at Graffica involving both simulation and operational systems and over 10 years' managing our Graffica toolkit supporting the evolving needs of our projects.

Motivation?
Building reliable and reusable software patterns and solutions to allow us to focus on our clients' specific needs.

We want to help with your project

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