Tackling Fatigue for Under the Wing Employees
How can we empower United Airlines and it's employees to manage fatigue for Ramp Service Employees?
Client: United Airlines
Design Capabilities: Design Strategy, Innovation Roadmap, Rapid Prototyping
My Role: Lead Strategist
Topics: Transportation, Health & Wellbeing
THE PROJECT
Fatigue is a significant source of injuries for flight crews across various operational tasks, jeopardizing employee well-being and operational safety. Recognizing this the Corporate Safety Team and Airshop, United Airlines' in-house innovation team, partnered with the Institute of Design to explore technological advancements and process adjustments that can effectively mitigate fatigue-related injuries and enhance employee wellness.
The project investigates a range of interventions, from data-driven decision-making tools to employee-focused wellness programs, to ensure a balanced approach to fatigue management.
THE OUTCOME
The team created a holistic framework tackling employee fatigue, encompassing the entire shift for United Airlines ramp workers. This "end-to-end" approach integrates various prototypes for a seamless solution.
Developed a well-defined innovation roadmap to guide leadership in executing the fatigue management framework. The roadmap serves as a blueprint, outlining key steps and milestones towards successful implementation.
Innovation Themes
Beyond Education: Encouraging Proactive Fatigue Management
While educating employees on fatigue risks and management strategies is essential, we explored additional methods to promote proactive behavior change.
Measuring Impact: Beyond Quantitative Data
Capturing quantitative data on fatigue levels is crucial, but we also explored qualitative methods to assess the effectiveness of our interventions.
Data-Driven Optimization: Scheduling for Fatigue Reduction
Investigating how to leverage the collected data to optimize scheduling systems for fatigue reduction.
Research Questions Explored...
SOLUTION
After a series of expert interviews, on-site observations and conducting analogous research - the solution was a holistic strategic framework that incorporates top-down initiatives by the org and bottom-up approaches for employees.
Designed 7 prototypes, including smart scheduling tools, AI-powered motion tracking platform, and personalized rest break interventions, to address fatigue across the ramp worker journey.
ROADMAP
Through the project, we revealed that effective fatigue management requires a synergistic approach. While individual solutions are valuable, they achieve maximum impact when integrated into a comprehensive strategy. Project outcomes were well-received by leadership, who initiated further study and piloting of two specific strategies to assess their potential impact.
Timeline
14 weeks
Region
Chicago
Skills
Storyboarding
Rapid prototyping
Road Mapping
Tools & Methods
Interviews
Storyboarding
Prototyping
Road Mapping
Team
Steven Hunsicker
Sanya Shah
Snehal Khatavkar