Fit for innovation – Structures, processes and working environments ensure success and a sustainable future
The success of a company largely depends on the ability of those involved to innovate. Successful innovation work requires flexible structures, seamless processes, conducive working environments and a motivating corporate culture.
In projects that focus on corporate and business-model development we design a company’s business processes, management and control systems and business models from a holistic perspective. We help service and manufacturing companies as well as government agencies optimize their structures and processes, enabling them to become productive on a sustainable basis.
We also design work systems for the respective organization, helping to plan and implement working environments that promote performance in line with humane principles.
All our consulting and implementation projects aim to make companies more responsive, more innovative and productive by putting in place the ideal conditions for good performance and sustainable employment for their staff.
Corporate Development and Work Design focuses on the following areas:
Corporate and business models
Business performance management
Collaboration productivity
Workspace innovation
Information work
Value-stream engineering
Versatile production
Flexible assembly systems
Services
Successful work design and corporate development requires a holistic approach and networked competencies: engineers, ergonomists, business administrators, social scientists, computer scientists and architects work closely together in our team. Their specific technical know-how is complemented by their experience garnered from diverse practical projects, which we carry out for manufacturing companies across a wide range of sectors, for service companies and for government agencies.
Business in Germany lives or dies on its know-how. In-house staff are therefore the main powerhouse behind value creation, thanks to their know-how, their experience and their motivation. And that’s also why we place people firmly centre stage of the concepts and solutions involved in our assignments.
Active knowledge and experience of staff and customers, the active commitment of staff, and up-to-date insights about what is happening in the marketplace, constitute the key success factors in a company's ability to innovate and remain viable going forward. Management and control systems must deploy and further develop these key assets systematically and effectively in line with future needs. We help companies to set up sophisticated business intelligence systems, to introduce »appropriate« management concepts, as well as to set up systems that manage their »intellectual capital«.
Knowledge and value creation are increasingly being generated within in-house and external networks. To leverage this collective intelligence to the full requires the right kind of collaborative structures and supporting IT systems. We support our customers with tried-and-trusted, customized concepts for networking people and information – starting with the selection of eCollaboration technologies, right through to planning and setting up Web 2.0 technologies to manage knowledge and learning environments.
You need to be familiar with the structures in your business and understand the interrelationships if you want to respond flexibly and effectively to the market. This becomes patently clear if you look at the dynamic financial services markets with their widely distributed value-creation structures.
We sit down with our customers to design business and operator models that are tailored to their particular needs. We optimize value-creation structures and devise concepts for cross-organizational process chains. The interdisciplinary expertise of our teams helps devise and implement innovative work models, incorporating the needs of branch offices. Tailor-made processes along with appropriate IT support improve efficiency and services for customers, helping ensure they are more satisfied than ever.
We develop and implement work and office concepts for diverse industries and companies of all types. Here, we leverage the findings of our own ergonomic studies, drawing on the method sets we have developed and the extensive experience of our teams in implementing solutions. Our work aims to sustainably increase the innovativeness, productivity and satisfaction of staff, teams and entire organizations. In addition to analysis and concept creation, we develop suitable change-management processes for our customers. We support the implementation phase and utilize processes that can be used to measure the effectiveness of the implemented measures.
The structures, processes and political framework for the healthcare and the care sectors are constantly changing. As part of our focal point ‘Health and Care Innovation’ we therefore continually record the criteria that is relevant to the healthcare market and closely analyze future developments. On the basis of these insights we help businesses involved in the healthcare and social-welfare sectors to develop organizational structures, service offerings and innovative products that will answer tomorrow’s needs. We utilize not only social science-based analytical techniques and supplementary methods from other specialist disciplines, but also draw on expertise in the medical, therapeutic and care sectors.
The work infrastructure is a key factor in bolstering the motivation and productivity of knowledge workers. We analyze technological trends and determine their potential for supporting work processes. Based on our findings we develop suitable concepts for businesses and government agencies for their work infrastructure and put together a suitable rollout strategy as part of a change-management process. As we set about analyzing and devising work infrastructures, we factor in individual requirements of knowledge workers as well as aspects of team-based collaboration that promote productivity. In this context we also aware of the growing need for mobility, flexibility, visualization and networking. Sustainability issues, the potential of green technologies, and the opportunities opened up by advanced building technology systems in support of work infrastructures, round off the concepts we employ.
New technologies, changes in the way work is carried out, coupled with variable forms of collaboration, not only have an impact on work and learning processes but also generate a demand for innovative workplace infrastructures and learning environments. New concepts in this field must ensure existing work processes are optimally supported. In addition, the derived solutions must also be capable of being adapted to future technical and organizational changes within the working environment. Our interdisciplinary teams are developing workspace, organizational and building concepts for office buildings, hotels, labs or learning environments for diverse sectors, including the engineering, automotive, transportation, education and media industries.
»Value stream engineering« – which is particularly suited for use in small and mid-sized manufacturing companies – provides a host of tools that enable companies to design their production system in an efficient, tailor-made manner. The engineering package offers executives and experts a wide range of support for practical technology management. Individual coaching through the Production Management Competence Center supplements our range of services aimed at small and mid-size manufacturers.
The absence of wastage in the individual assembly stages along with the integration of assembly in the company's value stream will determine just how efficiently assembly work can be performed. This holistic view, which we factor in as part of the approach adopted in our planning model to design assembly systems, gives rise to efficient, wastage-free assembly processes.
In our model plant we demonstrate different applications involving various assembly systems, highlight how manufacturers can whittle down the countless assembly systems to come up with a future-proof choice that provides the best fit for the product and the assembly process.
We help manufacturing companies to rapidly and systematically determine the best assembly system for their product: Our ‘Assembly System Check’ tool substantially reduces the planning overhead involved. Aided by tried-and-tested methods, we support the entire implementation phase, right through to the smooth operation of newly designed, end-to-end assembly processes.
Business processes and production systems, working environments in administrative and lab environments have one thing in common: They will only be economical and work well if the complex interplay of all the components involved can be assured. At the Fraunhofer IAO we have set up various labs and demonstration centers, which are equipped with cutting-edge technology and structured according to innovative design concepts. In seminars and forums we showcase the latest design solutions for working environments and company organization. And here too, we also work jointly with our customers on company-specific solutions. Since we can implement concepts rapidly by rolling out prototypes, the benefits of a customized package made up of various components can be tested and assessed in a practical context.
In this business lab we test various presentation, processing and communications solutions that facilitate the real-time control of businesses and organizations. Newly developed business intelligence systems are also included, along with multidimensional visualizations of design data, planning data, right through to sales and market figures. As part of simulated daily management routines we also test on behalf of our customer what influence eCollaboration technologies have on the quality of decision-making and discussion.
In their »Lived-in lab« they examine and test the practical and subjective aspects of new technology and workspace concepts. More than 100 sponsors provide a constant stream of new innovative products for the Office Innovation Center, each of which is compared and further developed onsite. The portfolio includes hardware and software solutions, the very latest acoustics, lighting, workspace and furnishing components.
The Interactive Creativity Landscape also offers our customers an efficient and inspiring development environment – equipped with state-of-the-art technology, such as virtual-reality applications on a power-wall. This setup facilitates the development of innovative solutions for the technical equipment and workspace fittings in the office of the future by allowing researchers to work together directly with customers.
In addition to the frequently used Carrée system, the model plant also showcases solutions for the manual assembly based on a star configuration, with a one-piece flow system (U line) or the one-set flow system, which has not yet found widespread use. Specific product examples are utilized to illustrate realistically how and for which areas the individual systems can economically be deployed.
The findings of our research have already been implemented and can be experienced live in the »Bank & Future« showcase. State-of-the art information technology is used in our process lab to support processes between bank advisor and customer, without allowing this technology to dominate, in much the same way as a good 'butler' provides assistance where necessary but is not the center of attraction. The cutting-edge innovative technologies used here include biometry, RFID, self-service dialog or digital posters.
Embedded in the production lab operation of our partner institute Fraunhofer IGB, the working environment is analyzed under real operating conditions, and concepts for lab facilities and knowledge management developed in the lab.
The setup means researchers can see straightaway whether the deployed lab innovations do give rise to the expected benefits, and, if not, changes and adjustments can be made there and then. All of which facilitates »live« testing of whether the researchers’ dynamic/creative requirements are better supported as a result. The information and communications systems in the test bed are networked with the lab equipment, enabling the data to be provided to the team of researchers at any time, anywhere and in the right format.
The demonstration platform is used for research work as part of the ‘FutureHotel’ scenario project. The solutions and prototypes developed in the showcase include diverse innovations centered on the hotel of the future. More than 35 business partners were involved in the design and execution.
Real-life application scenarios demonstrate how senior citizens can lead the kind of social life they want and remain safe, despite limitations imposed by their health.
In addition to interior design based on the very latest insights, an intelligent lighting system enables residents to get round at night, while supporting the individual’s rhythm of day and night. A nutrition coach provides residents with a diet tailored to their own needs, a remote monitoring system automatically transmits vital data, while a so-called »family TV« provides contact with friends and family.
As a »house of knowledge work« the construction project sets standards for buildings that are geared specifically to working conditions in the knowledge society. The five-storey new Institute building, with a usable surface area of approx. 3200 m², will bring together the research work of the IAO in the thematic areas of virtual engineering, digital product and production development as well as optimization of work structures and processes in the knowledge society. Here, the very latest high-tech virtual engineering labs, such as the virtual project room, Flex-Cave, and the multispace office are taking shape alongside flexible project, team and lab rooms. The low-energy building will be equipped with geothermal power, concrete core activation, a coupled cooling system, solar panels and a hollow block ceiling. The German Sustainable Building Council (DGNB) awarded the building a gold pre-certificate in recognition of it satisfying the highest level of sustainability.
Research
Covering a wide range of research projects, the teams of scientists from Corporate Development and Work Design devise new analysis and design methods, alongside future scenarios, roadmaps and solution approaches. Commercial pilot projects ensure the practicable viability of results. Our customers include public sector sponsors such as the European Union, the German federal ministry of education and research (BMBF) or the state of Baden-Württemberg, as well as commercial associations focusing on innovation.
We are currently involved in the following research topics:
Nonetheless, many companies are still planning their HR policy based on the so-called deficit hypothesis, which assumes that the physical and mental capabilities of more elderly employees are inferior. The latest research findings show, however, that this assumption does not stand up to scrutiny.
Together with selected companies in the metal and electrical/electronics industries we are therefore devising and testing new methods of staff management, customized learning strategies and the design of production systems that promote learning. All of these solutions essentially aim to tap into the underutilized potential of older staff. The project conducted by the Arbeitgeberverbände der Metall- und Elektroindustrie (the regional employers’ associations in the German metal and electrical (M+E) industry) is being conducted on the initiative of Südwestmetall, with scientific management being provided by the IAO and the Center for Neuroscience and Learning in Ulm.
The project involves developing a collaboration platform and facilitating access via mobile terminal devices such as handhelds or cell phones. The system helps smaller tradesmen get involved in invitations to tender by teaming up with others as a cooperation partner.
The technology behind the collaboration system is based on industry-standard software that has been upgraded with a web-based platform and fitted with components to provide mobile access. The researchers involved in the project are working not just on the platform, but also on suitable business and operating models for commercial usage. In addition to the Fraunhofer IAO, the etz Stuttgart (Electrical Technology Center), the skilled trades company Heldele, as well as PDS GmbH and the Baden-Württemberg Manual Trades Association (BWHT) are also involved.
Future-proof production systems, however, must also be extremely versatile: It should be possible to easily combine the components of an existing system to create new structural system units.
The difficulty is that the assembly-system developers already have to factor in (often still unknown) future requirements. The aim of research in the thematic area of »versatile assembly systems« at the Fraunhofer IAO is to devise criteria and implementation solutions which can respond to new requirements in future, while keeping the time and cost involved to a minimum.
Together with companies from relevant industries – such as hardware and software vendors, office fitters or real-estate companies – as well as companies that will constitute the subsequent users, scientists at the Fraunhofer IAO are examining results which provide practical, efficient support for future office work. Empirical studies, scenario projects, best-practice analyses and lab studies are being used to increase future process performance and improve the well-being and motivation of staff in tomorrow's office. Prototypes are being developed.
The remit is to leverage close cooperation between users and manufacturers of technology in the banking sector to come up with groundbreaking innovations in the financial-services sector. The requisite innovation processes are being identified and initiated to this end.
The key topics in the current research phase include »Bank & Future« trend studies conducted annually for Germany and Europe, as well as the development of structures and processes in an industrialized bank. Innovations for financial sales/marketing are also being devised and tested. These include sales/marketing strategies as well as the design of tomorrow's branches, or support through new IT applications. The current findings from the work on the bank branch of the future can be experienced live in a showcase at the Office Innovation Center.
Teaming up with partners from the hotel sector, scientists at the Fraunhofer IAO are conducting research into the relevant key developments and associated impact on the hotel industry: types of guests and their requirements are analyzed along with optimization potential for hotel management. New groundbreaking solutions are being showcased, especially for key areas such as hotel rooms, reception or conference areas, taking into account not only technological innovations but also economic and ecological questions and overarching societal factors.
But work in the lab is also increasingly dominated by mechanized processes and automated workflows, boosting efficiency and productivity as a result. Such benefits can, however, not be achieved solely by upgrading technical lab equipment. The general organizational requirements as well as workspace design concepts also need to be developed further. This, in turn, means that the increasingly networked workflows of lab employees must to be supported by a communications and collaborative environment that meets their needs.
In the Lab 2020 innovation project, lab design requirements are being devised jointly with suppliers of laboratory equipment as well as lab users and operators. Based on this work, the project partners are developing concepts and solutions for designing lab facilities and buildings. These aim to increase both the usability and efficiency of lab work, while ensuring that such designs are readily accepted by employees. All of which enables companies to increase job satisfaction and, in turn, the innovativeness of their staff.
Together with service providers, manufacturers and sponsors, scientists use project studies in various scenarios to analyze what nursing care could look like in the future, before going on to flesh out the individual scenarios.
This provides companies from the health & care sector with the opportunity to adapt and develop existing models and solutions further. The innovation potential of new technologies and types of service can thus be highlighted and leveraged.
But this scenario also opens up great opportunities, not least since the introduction of innovative methods and technologies for planning and construction provides the industry with new impetus.
The FUCON (FUture CONstruction) innovation network provides companies in the construction and real-estate sectors with a platform that enables them to plan ahead in line with these trends and developments. They can thus pool their resources to devise and implement solutions and to create a value-chain in construction that will remain strong in the long term.
We are, however, still at a loss to explain how and to what extent tangible contextual conditions, such as workspace infrastructure or the communication systems used, influence the structure and the process of cooperative collaboration in innovation processes.
The TRUST collaborative research project funded by the German federal ministry of education and research (BMBF) and the European Social Fund is specifically analyzing the role of the work infrastructure in cooperation processes involving several companies. In particular, researchers aim to understand and explain to what extent trust in technology and familiarity with the infrastructure is an important factor. Based on the analysis of these factors it will then be possible to support cooperation processes in future that are more in line with needs and objectives.
Teams
The Corporate Development and Work Design business unit is organized in the following teams:
Head of Competence Center Business Performance Management
Phone+49 711 970-2095
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The Business Performance Management Competence Center helps companies roll out state-of-the-art management concepts and control tools, as well as optimizing centralized business processes.
Knowledge work and knowledge workers are central to this mission, constituting the key drivers of value creation. The team of experts – comprising business administrators, economic engineers, social scientists and computer scientists – advises and supports companies and organizations in the introduction of eCollaboration applications, through virtualization of the workplace and collaborative relationships, or by establishing innovative learning and knowledge environments. At present, one key area of the consulting and implementation projects lies in the area of eGovernment.
Phone+49 711 970-5479
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The team of experts from the ‘Workspace Innovation’ Competence Center examines and develops new work environments that promote productivity. Office, lab and learning environments represent key areas of focus, as well as industry-specific solutions for financial service providers, hotels, health and nursing care facilities.
Staff from the Competence Center analyze the work and process requirements on behalf of companies, helping them to redesign their working environments and develop optimized workspace design solutions for the front- and backend areas. Communications support and requirements in terms of flexibility are given high priority.
Head of Competence Team Information Work Innovation
Phone+49 711 970-5470
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The »Information Work Innovation« Competence Team develops tailor-made concepts and application solutions dedicated to the work infrastructure of knowledge workers. Research activities focus on the provision of the necessary technology tools for individual knowledge workers, the collaborative infrastructure in the workplace, and the systemic support provided by the building infrastructure. The aim is to design the working environment in the office, lab and learning environments so that it specifically supports knowledge work, thus increasing the productivity of knowledge workers.
Phone+49 711 970-2070
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Peter Rally
Head of Competence Team Production Management
Phone+49 711 970-2067
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Business processes form the foundation of economically viable and reliable performance on the part of manufacturing companies. The team of experts from the Production Management Competence Center supports companies with analyses of their business processes and designs optimum business-process workflows from product development through to order completion – frequently drawing on ‘value-stream engineering’ methodology as part of this process. The Competence Center’s service portfolio also includes the development and implementation of change-management projects or the planning of production systems.
The experts from the Fraunhofer IAO utilize systematic approaches and methods, which have already stood the test of time in practical applications, while supplementing these tools with their creativity garnered during the course of their research activities, to create innovative, customized solutions.
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