Digitalisation of an Inspection Process
Analysis and redesign based on Service Engineering principles.
As part of a consulting project at the ZHAW School of Engineering, conducted in collaboration with Schindler Aufzüge AG (Schindler Group, Switzerland), an internal inspection process was analysed to identify opportunities for digital support.
The project focused on capturing the needs of internal stakeholders and on conceptualising and evaluating potential solutions to enhance process stability and operational efficiency.
In addition, a prototype was developed and a business case prepared, providing a structured basis for further internal evaluation and decision-making.
Initial Context
This case study originated from a university consulting project at the ZHAW School of Engineering, conducted in collaboration with Schindler Aufzüge AG (Schindler Group, Switzerland). The objective was to systematically analyse operational business processes and identify well-founded opportunities for improvement.
At the outset of the project, no comprehensive data base was available to directly identify operational weaknesses. Instead, the situation was shaped primarily by existing process descriptions and experiential knowledge.
The project demonstrates that viable improvement concepts can be developed even under conditions of limited data availability through the targeted application of Service Engineering methods.
Approach and Methods
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To ensure that the analysis was not limited to existing process documentation but also reflected everyday operational reality, an exploratory approach was deliberately adopted. Several project teams accompanied key processes in parallel through shadowing and supplementary interviews. This made it possible to capture real workflows, interfaces, and dependencies from multiple perspectives and relate them systematically.
This holistic understanding of processes formed the foundation for identifying relevant areas for action and for developing and evaluating targeted concepts for operational improvement.
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The exploratory data collection revealed key usage patterns, challenges, and opportunities. Customer profiles were developed, and a pain-gain analysis was conducted to identify relevant problem areas and potential value levers.
The identified pain points and gains were validated and prioritised in a second data collection phase using a structured survey. Several solution concepts were then developed and compared in terms of their expected value contribution. The most economically promising concept was subsequently refined and developed in greater depth.
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The selected solution concept was translated into a user-centred value proposition and visualised as a low-fidelity storyboard. In parallel, the underlying ecosystem was modelled to provide a structured view of key actors, value streams, and dependencies.
Subsequent iterations focused on the development of a service blueprint and mid-fidelity prototypes, including wireframes and a semi-functional Python prototype. This enabled practical validation of the concept’s usability, acceptance, and feasibility.
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Finally, a comprehensive business case was developed, integrating a Business Model Canvas and a cost-benefit model. The findings, including a roll-out strategy, were consolidated into a business plan and presented to senior management.
This created a robust decision framework that demonstrated both the operational feasibility and the economic viability of the proposed solution.
Solution Concept
The selected solution concept focused on simplifying and standardising information capture within the inspection process. The objective was to address opportunities to relieve manual workflows and reduce media discontinuities as well as redundant data entry.
At the core of the concept was voice-based data capture, combined with a flexibly adaptable inspection process. This approach was intended to enable information capture without interrupting employees’ workflows.
The solution concept was deliberately designed to integrate seamlessly into existing processes while accommodating different roles, situations, and levels of experience in day-to-day operations.
Outcome and Impact
A clear business case for user-centred digitalisation to reduce manual effort
As part of the project, the potential of voice-assisted data capture within inspection processes was explored and evaluated through prototypes. The results showed that robust decision-making foundations can be established through structured analysis and service engineering methods, even in the absence of an existing data infrastructure.
The combination of process analysis, prototypical implementation, and economic evaluation enabled a structured assessment of the digitalisation potential. On this basis, a well-founded decision framework for the further development of the inspection process was established.
In particular, the following aspects were clarified:
Evaluation of the potential to reduce process complexity and media discontinuities
Assessment of user acceptance of a voice-assisted approach in a conceptual setting
Economic evaluation of the solution concept as part of a business case
Rather than immediate implementation, the project created value by providing a transparent assessment of benefits, risks, and economic viability of a digital approach. This enabled evidence-based decision-making at management level.
The applied methods are particularly suited to service design and remain transferable to internal processes, even when process and data transparency are limited at the outset.