viking Raft Tracker
SOLUTION
Raft Tracker is an efficient mobile tool for optimizing VIKING’s service stations and life raft stocks. The solution is developed for VIKING’s warehouse workers and consists of an iOS app with a built-in scanner
function. This feature allows the employees to use their iPad or iPhone camera to scan barcodes on life rafts and labels on delivery forms.The app replaces paper-based processes and gives VIKING a digital overview of stock transactions and which rafts are in transit, under service or on-board ships.
This video shows how a simple app changed VIKING's way of doing business by optimizing their work flow and allocating new roles within the organization.
Effective Design Thinking, including thorough field research, was used as a method to gain understanding of the various business processes around the world as well as create new streamlined processes.
End users tested, retested and approved the solution during the development phase, which meant that the solution was designed, developed, implemented and working as planned within just 2.5 months.
The solution is built on SAP Cloud Platform as innovation platform, which is also the platform for VIKING’s future new digital solutions.
TECH
SCP SDK & Apple iOS
Raft Tracker is a native iOS app, built with the latest SAP Fiori SDK for iOS, with SAP Cloud Platform (SCP) as innovation platform. SCP
is now also the basis for VIKING’s future digital solutions.The app integrates with VIKING’s backend, SAP Plant Maintenance, via SCP and SAP Cloud Connector.
The user authenticates against SCP using VIKING’s Active Directory Federation Services (ADFS), and through a secure setup, the user is then sent to SAP PM.
All data is retrieved from SAP, which is the only data source and contains all master data.
Apple’s high level of security and intuitive structure and SCP are a unique and powerful combination that ensures the highest level of user-friendliness and the strongest possible structure.
Apple and SAP combined with Effective Design Thinking ensure that we can develop and implement solutions in just a few months. This is also a combination that we at invokers highly recommend our customers.
CHALLENGES
Some of VIKING’s challenges were that employees did not use the former systems for e.g. stock registrations and listings of service status on incoming and outgoing lifeboats as the systems were simply too complex. Instead, they used spreadsheets in paper form, resulting in inconsistencies and errors in, e.g., stock status and accessibility - and thus extended response time and express shipping to customers.
VIKING therefore wanted a more optimized flow at their warehouses and service stations to ensure high quality and efficiency and thereby higher customer satisfaction.
RESULTS
VIKING got a solution that ensures a clear, transparent and always updated overview of stock status. The overview and solution optimize asset utilization, reduces inventory and ensures the foundation for fast and efficient customer service.
The solution is a user-friendly and efficient tool for VIKING's warehouse workers. Now, with the help og their mobile devices, they can quickly register equipment status and equipment requirements on life rafts - both on those in stock and those on their way in to or out of the warehouse.
The overview and features of the app mean that the amount of errors is reduced significantly, and valuable working hours are released.
Henrik Balslev
IT Director, VIKING
“We went live with Raft Tracker in May 2018 at our department in Liverpool, and from the very first day it was clear what significance the solution will have for the efficiency of our service stations. Registration tasks that were previously done using a relatively heavy ERP-based solution - or even paper and pen - and involved several people are now completed digitally by the warehouse worker in just a few minutes.
Focus on user-friendliness and involvement of end-users in the design process mean that it has been one of the most painless implementations of a new IT system I've been part of.”
About VIKING
VIKING is a global company that employs over 1900 people in 30 different countries. The company manufactures and services life rafts, suits and life jackets, fire equipment and evacuation systems for many of the largest cruise ships and freight vessels in the world, as well as personal safety equipment for some of the most complex offshore platforms.