SWISS FEDERAL RAILWAYS (SBB)
Case Study 1
THE CHALLENGE
Swiss Federal Railways, or SBB, the national railway of Switzerland wanted to take its business and its assets into the future, ensuring it continued to give its customers the best possible service. Despite being a very real-world operation, the organisation knew it’s future had to be digital. It turned to Seedlab to help design what this would look like, and make it reality.
THE SOLUTION
During an 18-month project, SBB tapped into Seedlab’s innovation process to amplify its existing assets through relevant global trends, identifying new business models with the potential to better serve future customers. Indeed, it designed the customer journey of the future. Seedlab also took the railway through the phases of designing and developing a new department, SBB Digital, to drive innovation in the organisation on an ongoing basis.
In parallel, to ensure sustainability, Seedlab coached the team on using new resources, methodologies and tools, as well as developing a startup mindset.
The process included Seedlab providing strategic consulting and strategy development, project management, expert workshops, and startup scouting and introductions.
THE RESULT
The initial project with Seedlab saw 100 business models screened, with 20 proven, six prototypes conceptualised and developed, and three rolled out.
SBB P+Rail gives passengers the ability to discover and pay for parking on demand, making their commute seamless and more convenient, even if they don’t live near public transport links. SBB GoodBox reincarnates station lockers as drop-off points for local and online shopping and other services. A smartphone app opens the lockers, allowing passengers to pick up their deliveries when convenient.
In addition, SBB set up five official ventures with startups, and held the world’s first startup pitching competition on a train.
Ultimately, thanks to Seedlab, SBB successfully developed its own innovation process and implemented it within the company, with the formation of SBB Digital.
VOLKSWAGEN FINANCIAL SERVICES
Case Study 2
THE CHALLENGE
Volkswagen Financial Services AG, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, has been opening the door to its customers’ dream car in its current form since 1994. But the roots of the business, which coordinates the global financial services activities of the VW Group, are in driving sales of the VW Beetle and Transporter back in 1949.
Today, as well as being the largest automobile financial services provider in Europe, it is a significant driver of VW sales around the world, and is a key link between customers and the brand.
The company recognised it was experiencing the most disruptive business period in its history, and knew it needed to explore and embrace emerging trends and business models to ensure it survived profitably in the future. Key to this survival was offering products and services relevant to the next generation of car buyers, for whom a digital world, and new economy business models, are the new normal.
THE SOLUTION
VWFS knew it needed a helping hand from an expert in innovation and digital transformation to co-create its new future based on innovative, disruptive business models. It turned to Seedlab to conceptualise, develop and implement the journey it needed to take. This ensured it achieved the speed, cultural change and ability to implement new methods and tools that would ensure the transformation of its business and future success.
Seedlab’s proven process included identifying the key trends and business models that could impact VWFS’s business. An important foundation for inspiration was Seedlab’s comprehensive startup scouting programme that gave VWFS a market overview of innovative and disruptive business models.
Throughout, the Seedlab team and specially selected industry experts worked collaboratively with the interdisciplinary VWFS team to unlock inherent innovation, and co-create new products and services.
THE RESULT
Thanks to Seedlab’s innovation process, the VWFS team developed new business models for digital products and services. In doing so, new methods and tools were deployed to achieve a faster proof of concept during prototype development. Through ideation, business modelling and design sprints, new ideas were generated methodically.
VWFS very rapidly identified five disruptive products and services from 100 thought starters, and developed them to the point where the team could confidently pitch them to the business for commercialisation.