Process Digitization with AgilePoint for Rhätische Bahn AG
Rhätische Bahn (RhB) had been exploring workflow automation for some time. As part of its digital transformation initiative, the company took a proactive approach to evaluate and implement a suitable workflow engine.
1stQuad provided comprehensive support to RhB throughout the entire process digitization project. This involved gathering requirements, evaluating the best-fit workflow engine, implementing the selected solution, creating custom configurations, setting up test and production environments, integrating with existing systems, and providing ongoing support for the newly digitized workflows.
About Rhätische Bahn AG
With around 1,500 employees, Rhätische Bahn AG transports approximately 12 million passengers annually across Graubünden. The railway’s 384-kilometer network includes the famous Bernina and Albula lines, which have been UNESCO World Heritage Sites since July 2008. One of its iconic landmarks is the Landwasser Viaduct, which connects directly to the Landwasser Tunnel.
RhB's IT environment is a mix of traditional local infrastructure and cloud-based services. Elements of Office 365 are already widely used within the company.
Use Case Implementation
In collaboration with RhB’s business analysts, two key processes were implemented as part of the digitization initiative: expense management for rolling stock and room reservations. These processes also served as training exercises for workflow modeling, form creation, and integration with legacy systems, helping the team maximize learning throughout the project.
Hands-on Learning
The selected use cases doubled as training examples. 1stQuad outlined the steps for implementation, trained users, and ensured proper execution of the solutions. Additionally, a training plan was created for key users. This training focused on monitoring, troubleshooting, and debugging process instances rather than process modeling itself.
Governance and Guidelines
A governance framework was established, outlining roles, permissions, application structures, reusability, and development practices for day-to-day operations. Clear "Dos" and "Don'ts" were established to prevent future issues with workflow development and operation. An implementation concept and a workshop for process owners and stakeholders (such as task recipients and form initiators) were also delivered to ensure smooth rollout.
Building Team Capacity and Knowledge
To utilize the existing talents on the IT/business analysis side, governance was developed and expanded in collaboration with the RhB, and permission and naming concepts were developed. A super-user concept and super-user training were further components of the support.
Through targeted training and pair programming, the RhB was able to achieve an important goal: building a team that can independently develop workflows end-to-end from process identification to commissioning. If necessary, they are supported by on-demand support.