Employee Experience
BMW
BMW embarked on a digital transformation initiative focused on improving its production system by replacing analogue process boards with a fully digital solution. My role as Experience Designer was to lead the creation of a digital process board from scratch, following BMW’s business strategy of digitalization. This shift required extensive user research and an intuitive UI to ensure a smooth transition for employees accustomed to traditional methods. The main challenge was not only to improve usability but also to increase employee motivation and reduce errors, while ensuring the new system seamlessly integrated into daily workflows.
1
Strategic Approach & Planning
- Defined the strategic goal: digitize BMW’s production system with a user-centered digital process board.
- Ensured alignment between the design approach and BMW’s broader business objectives.
- Prioritized user needs and process efficiency in the design.
- Initiated a gamification feature to boost employee engagement and brand identification, setting it as a secondary goal.
2
User Research & Testing
- Led user research with BMW’s production staff through interviews, usability tests, and workshops.
- Identified pain points with existing analogue process boards.
- Translated insights into UI recommendations and user stories for developers.
- Improved system usability by 20%, enhancing daily operations.
3
Conceptualisation & Gamification
- Identified an opportunity for employee engagement via gamification.
- Developed a game concept where employees earn coins for mistake-free days, "buy" virtual cars, and race them.
- Pitched the gamification idea, secured buy-in from leadership, and built a prototype for testing.
4
Execution & Rollout
- Oversaw user testing and iteration phases for both the digital process board and gamification system.
- Incorporated employee feedback to refine usability and engagement features.
- Coordinated with developers to ensure smooth execution during the go-live phase.
- Achieved strong employee engagement, with over 50% signing up for the gamification feature.
Outcome
The project successfully transformed BMW’s production process by replacing the analogue process boards with a user-centered digital solution, improving usability by 20%. This not only reduced errors and interruptions but also led to more motivated employees who adapted quickly to the new system. The self-initiated gamification project was a major success, with over 50% of employees participating and engaging with the virtual car racing feature, boosting motivation and reinforcing brand identification. The combination of improved process efficiency and employee engagement demonstrated the impact of user-centered design on operational success, and BMW recognized the project as a critical step in their digitalization strategy.
