Building an agile railway service through an innovation partnership

The challenge

A seamless service is seen as a given. In a rapidly changing mobility landscape, travellers increasingly expect flexibility, multimodal options and real-time information.

Our challenge? To create an environment where NMBS-SNCB employees have the space to develop powerful solutions that respond to these customer expectations, while at the same time embedding a strong innovation culture within the organisation. A win-win, because this not only has an impact on the passenger experience, but also creates a better image for NMBS-SNCB itself.

The approach

With the enthusiastic Innovation Lab team, we launched the Innovation Factory. The first iteration was a 10-week accelerator program that takes place annually in several waves. Each wave brings together multidisciplinary teams to research, develop and test new ideas and solutions. The accelerator program, which uses Design Thinking methodology, provides a structured framework for employees to tackle problems quickly and effectively. At the end of these 10 weeks, the goal is to present the appropriate solution (validated by travellers) and then develop it on a larger scale. Recently, the Innovation Factory moved to a more tailored approach which suits the complex environment at SNCB-NMBS better. This means that for some challenges the suggested Innovation Factory approach is much lighter which makes it easier for colleagues to participate.

Some of the methods involved are:

• Examining the problem or concrete need about which we want to come up with a solution. Who is the target group? What are they running into? How big is this problem
• Ideation: coming up with a solution to this problem. We get creative in a brainstorming session.
• Prototype and validate the concept with the target group. We visualize our solution and test it with real users. For example, we have already questioned travelers several times on the train itself or in the Brussels-South station.
• Design sprint in which we continue to build the prototype during three intense days, collecting feedback from users in between each design round. This way we end up with a strong prototype.
• Making a plan of action to effectively implement the solution in reality.
• A pitchevent where the solutions are presented to management and various other stakeholders.

The program is put together based on the level of expertise the participants have and the challenge around which we are working. Our role is to guide the teams through these steps in a smooth and customized way.

The program thus includes workshops, training and coaching sessions. In these, teams are encouraged to think creatively and develop prototypes that fit the needs of train passengers. As a bonus, we provide participants with a host of tools and techniques that they can also apply in their own jobs. We also stimulate their ability to learn and help build the learning culture within NMBS-SNCB.

The result

Thanks to our solid collaboration with NMBS-SNCB, we are constantly striving to better understand their needs. For example, each wave of the Innovation Factory we learn about the needs of the participants and further adapt the format.

This dynamic has allowed us to become a well-oiled machine where we now address challenges in the organisation together with multidisciplinary teams. That way we can inject tremendous speed into things that normally take a very long time and further strengthen the culture of innovation.

While we find the process alone super valuable, we are also very proud of the results participants achieved in previous editions. Thanks to the Innovation Factory users of the SNCB - NMBS app are better informed of last-minute platform changes. Soon they will be able to get reminders to get off at a certain stop too. Maybe in the future you will be able to park your bike more safely thanks to free bike parking locks at the stations. Or will family travel become a lot more pleasant thanks to the introduction of a Family Zone? Or will people learn about their ecological footprint by translating CO2 impact into more understandable and fun facts that create awareness without scaring off customers?

Realizing innovation from the inside out

Do you want to know how to successfully tackle employee-driven innovation? We are happy to share our expertise and are ready to work with you. Not just with advice, but by actually implementing it together. According to the SNCB-NMBS team are value lies in making sure all assumptions are validated which increases the chances of an idea actually coming to fruition. We provide the right arguments for internal buy-in. Thanks to our experience in co-creation, we guide you step by step, while continuing to support you on the sidelines where necessary.