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Snehal Khatavkar 
Design research. Service design

Innovation strategy for
fatigue management 

Embedding  Human Centered Design in the Innovation process 

Brief

Collaborated with United Airlines to develop a comprehensive system to identify, measure, and monitor fatigue in airport ground personnel, by proposing a holistic understanding of fatigue, integrating technological advancements and process adjustments.  

Impact 

Aligned 3 different stakeholder groups on a unified  understanding of fatigue to make safety a strategic goals within the organisation. 

Duration

14 weeks 

Role 

Team of 4 members, Led the research initiative 

Methods 

Trends analysis, Ethnographic observation, case studies, 
Innovation strategy. 

Context 

Airport Ground Staff like ramp workers and baggage handlers ensure Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction in Aviation

Air travel depends on the seamless coordination of backend processes, with airport ground staff, like ramp workers and baggage handlers, playing a critical role. Their time-sensitive tasks, such as refueling, maintenance checks, and luggage handling, are essential to preventing delays and ensuring smooth airline operations and customer satisfaction.

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A day on the job

John, tirelessly unloads 150 bags from a Boeing 737 flight 
...and receives a notification for his next assignment to unload another 130 bags 

Impacts 

As John continues his demanding tasks his reaction time and focus are impaired 

...which leads to him tripping and sustaining a leg injury

PROBLEM 

However, the high-risk working environments lead to chronic fatigue causing injuries and accidents in airport ground employees. 

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Impact on employees 
Annually, around 243,000 people 
globally are injured in ground 
operations incidents.
Impact on employees 
Ramp accidents cost major airlines worldwide at least US$10 billion 
a year.
ASK FROM UNITED AIRLINES 

While pilots and crew often receive attention, "under the wing" employees, like baggage handlers, face significant challenges. Recognizing the issue of fatigue-related injuries among these workers, United Airlines partnered with the Institute of Design to address it.

Reduce fatigue related injuries in the airport 

ground staff using process adjustments and 

technology advancements 

RESEARCH  AND ANALYSIS 

We took a rigorous research approach examining future trends, abstracted the  problem to understand how other industries were solving this challenge, and 
conducting ethnographic observations to get operational insights. 

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Trends analysis

Examined the macro-environmental shift and ‘new normal’ to future proof strategy

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Case studies 

By abstracting our problem, we examined how other organizations addressed similar challenges

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SME interviews 

Conducted interviews with 6 SMEs to understand system insights

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Field observation 

Observed airport ground operations to get operational insights

INSIGHTS 

Fatigue is multifaceted, and elusive,  originating from various sources and  capable of manifesting in numerous ways.

Insight 1

Fatigue is Complex

The scheduling systems prioritizes  operational efficiency at the cost of team  culture and employee well-being.

Insight 2

The safety efficiency 
trade-off 

United is underutilizing existing data to 

understand injury occurrence and make 

effective changes 

Insight 3

Under utilized data 

OPPORTUNITY FRAMING 

How might we empower both United Airlines 
and its employees to proactively address fatigue, striking a balance between employee wellbeing and operations safety. 

Crafting a holistic strategy, targeting fatigue from both a 

top-down and on-the-ground perspective.

INNOVATION STRATEGY  

The innovation strategy is a holistic approach, revealing that effective management cannot rely on a single solution. This perspective shapes our framework, which aims for comprehensive strategy implementation by addressing all critical facets.

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SOLUTION ECOSYSTEM 

Following the framework, we developed a balanced mix of solutions ranging from immediate, low-tech approaches to far-horizon, technologically advanced innovations. This strategy creates a holistic, end-to-end ecosystem that addresses various aspects of the challenge, ensuring both immediate impact and long-term resilience. 

Performance safety
and efficiency 

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Design principle 

Prioritize safety actions with clear environmental signals and strong communication.

Optimized Operations 

Design principle 

Incorporate a comprehensive & holistic range of fatigue-related data for enhanced operational decision-making.

Tracking, monitoring
and fatigue  

Design principle 

Integrate devices and captured data seamlessly into existing 

systems to cultivate a personalized understanding of fatigue and 

establish a continuous feedback loop

Education and awareness