In September 2024, the SAP customer and energy supplier Badenova began to optimize his processes to coordinate work orders. In order to better manage the ongoing operational challenges in connection with customer inquiries, the subsidiary took part in Badenovanetze as part of the SAP Fiori Makers program in a labor -intensive, practice -oriented boat camp in Freiburg.

The focus of this boot camp was to analyze the concrete challenges of the order coordinators and to develop solutions to optimize their daily tasks and routines.

The challenge: a fragmented, manual process

Before the boot camp, work orders were coordinated at Badenovanetze with incoherent tools and processes. The coordinators juggled SAP software, customer-specific programs from SmartService Solutions and basic applications such as Word and Excel in their work. This status quo led to some challenges for which a solution was to be found:

• Improvement of the user experience: The navigation in the existing surface was difficult and led to frustration and productivity loss among users.
• Avoiding manual processes: The coordinators had to transmit information about different systems and update data manually. As a result, routine tasks were time -consuming and prone to errors.
• Reduction of the error rate: Due to repeating, manual tasks, the risk of errors in data input increased, which resulted in delays and additional effort.
• Improvement of transparency: Since the coordinators had only limited insight into the status of work orders, they spent a lot of time looking for information and monitoring of progress.

The solution: a practice -oriented transformation

The company took part in a four-day SAP Fiori Makers boot camp, in which users, IT teams and partners came together. The focus of the boot camp was to make the cockpit for work orders more user -friendly. For this purpose, manual tasks and makeshift solutions should be replaced by an app prototype from SAP. The aim was to automate processes, integrate dashboards, improve the user experience and reduce the error rate.

With the boot camp, Badenovan nets benefited from an open, agile workshop format and the necessary tools to address these challenges. In close cooperation with the company’s coordinators, the SAP team developed tailor-made solutions with which the processes and the results could be optimized. “The great thing about our boot camps is that we can get to know and understand the challenges of our users,” summarizes SAP UX Designer Christina Salwitzek. “Together with the users, we have designed and developed and developed a more efficient solution for this complex workflow from scratch.”

The goals

In the administration of the multitude of customer inquiries in the area of meters and measurements, including for the exchange as well as the installation and expansion of points, Badenovan networks are faced with operational challenges. Together, the teams set themselves ambitious and at the same time achievable goals for long -term success. The top priority was that the new solution was ready for use by 2025. In the first half of the year, the switch to an optimized, future -proof system should take place.

In order to support this changeover, the Badenovanetze team was able to deepen its knowledge of SAP technologies and its knowledge of development as part of the boot camp. The team is now able to wait, adapt and expand the new solution if the requirements develop. “The most surprised me that we actually made such progress together and that everyone was able to contribute something,” reports Paulina, who looks after the order coordination at Badenovanetze.

The team finally developed a prioritized roadmap with a clear, constant approach, which is intended to lead the customer through the individual phases of the transformation and support them from the conception to implementation. The SAP-Fiori-Makers team included three UX designers, a front-end developer for SAP Fiori Elements, who brought the visual designs to life, and a backend developer specializing in the SAP Cloud Application Programming Model, who took care that the functions were reliable and scalable. Andreas Spahn, Principal Technology & Innovation Manager from the SAP Services team, was responsible for the moderation of the boot camp and the collaboration of the team members. “The special thing about SAP Fiori Makers is that we have a problem description and that a team analyzes and solves the current problem together with the user,” he explains. “Experts from the areas of technology, design and development are included.”

The procedure

A central task was the development of a user -oriented and future -oriented design for a new cockpit for managing work orders. For a first design, the team used design-thinking techniques in combination with the functions of SAP Fiori, SAP Fiori Elements and the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). As one of the largest regional electricity, gas, heat and water suppliers in Germany, Badenova has already used the SAP BTP for integration scenarios and now also used the platform as part of this project for application development.

In order to design an intuitive, optimized surface, the team checked in a detailed feasibility study whether the proposed solution could be realized technically and company. In joint development work, in which the actual users were also included, a first prototype was quickly created.

This prototype not only simplified complex work processes, but also automated numerous manual tasks. In this way, the error rate could be reduced, while data silos were also removed. By merging all relevant information in a uniform system, the team was able to provide a seamless user interface and thus create the basics for complete implementation.

The result was rated positively by the participants. In particular, they liked the expediency and the innovative functions of the solution. “The most impressed was what progress we made,” says Daniel Oberle, Business Architect at Badenovanetze. “Without the SAP Fiori Makers boot camp, we would need half a year to get to the point we are today.”

Feedback from the user

To ensure that the solution is also well received by the actual users, the team carried out three moderated usability tests on site in the company with a FigMA prototype. In these tests, two employees recorded the feedback from the users directly in Figma. From this, immediate knowledge could be gained that made adjustments possible. The user stories were with Scenesvisualized in the SAP storytelling tool. The team was able to quickly develop collaborative, visual stories without needing drawing skills. These first concepts were then improved with SAP Fiori Design Stencils in Figma. So the team got faster from the rough idea to the sophisticated prototypes.

The participation of SAP users in the boot camp was crucial because they were able to evaluate the new solution in real time using a cognitive walkthrough. “If the user experience fits, the employees are satisfied and like to work with the software,” explains Teresa Mayer, UX designer at SAP. This practice -oriented, iterative process contributed to the fact that the final design was closely based on the expectations and needs of the users.

This example shows how important the survey of users is for a successful development of error -free and useful products. In order to be able to take even better into account the feedback from users, the SAP has the program SAP User Research Panel launched. As part of this initiative, users are invited to take part in remote surveys. As a result, the SAP product teams receive valuable feedback throughout the entire product life cycle. Users can report on their experiences with a product and its design so that the development teams can better align the products on their needs. At the same time, users benefit from a preview of new functions or products.

Conclusion

The SAP Fiori Makers boot camp was an important step in the digital transformation of Badenovanetze. Thanks to the combination of future-oriented SAP technologies with a user-oriented design approach, the team not only was able to tackle complex operational challenges, but also provide a solution that ensures significantly more efficient processes and more satisfied users. The rapid progress during the boot camp – a reduction in development by six months and expected savings of 115 working days per year – makes it clear what cooperation and innovation can do.

The project is already running and the goals for 2025 are clear. This is the best way to position Badenovan networks to further optimize its processes with a motivated and satisfactor workforce.

Let us share your experiences and become part of the initiative SAP User Research Panel. You can easily register and take part in the surveys without much effort. You can find more information about the SAP Fiori Makers boot camps, which contain a workshop after the design -oriented development process website.

This article was originally on with the support of Suparna Chawla Sapinsider published.

Tobias Essig is user research advocate for SAP design.