Kenttä – The best tools for staff

Good tools make the everyday lives of drivers and conductors smoother.

VR Group started the development of the Kenttä application with the aim of supporting the work of drivers and conductors. With the Kenttä application designed for mobiles and tablets, drivers and conductors get information about work shifts and tasks, along with all the functions they need.

“VR’s digital strategy is to invest in the development of employees’ tools. We wanted to modernize the daily application for employees on the move, and bring the tools of VR’s modern corporate identity to employees. The management was ready to invest significantly in this,” says project manager Antti Vuorinen, VR Group, who was responsible for the project.

End users actively involved in development

The operating conditions of the Kenttä application are demanding. The application is opened several times during a work shift and when using it, the user is often busy or must be able to handle other tasks at the same time. Ease of use and clarity are of particular importance. Therefore, the users wanted to be involved in developing the application right from the start. In addition to various terminal devices, the technology also took into consideration the use of the application via insecure communication connections.

“With this new service and development concept, we wanted to involve employees in the development work of the application and functionalities. For example, we can distribute a certain version to a certain group. We may have a version that is still in the development stage, which provides us with development experiences. For example, in the early stages of the application, we sought experiences on work shift views and other functionalities”, explains Antti Vuorinen.

Digitization improves the service experience

The Kenttä application is a good example of the advantages of digitization. The application displays up-to-date information, facilitates communication and offers drivers and conductors a channel to give feedback and correct information. The quality of information improves and operations become smoother.

“The Kenttä solution plays a crucial role in optimizing the efficiency of our central operations. It provides better information, and this ultimately has a positive effect on the customer’s service experience”, formulates product owner Ville Koljonen, VR Group.

Otto Kataja, from Evolver, sums it up like this: “When we succeed and the tools work well, the employee can fully focus on the core content of their work”.

Gaining strategic leverage with Evolver

In line with its digital strategy, VR is constantly developing its tools and processes. Feedback is systematically collected from users and development is guided accordingly. Continuous development of tools for mobile personnel increases employee satisfaction and improves the customer experience. Evolver has assumed a lot of responsibility in the continuous development of the concept and tried to delve into the business goals and understand the needs as well as possible. Ville Koljonen states: “The ability to listen to the customer and take responsibility are the hallmarks of Evolver.”