• Replacement of the outdated individual software "E-ZIVI" with a modern specialist application.
• Central case management for civilian services, deployment companies, administration & legal services.
• Iterative implementation based on the minimum viable product (MVP) concept and agile further development.
• Close involvement of all stakeholders: Specialist departments, external users and legal services.
• User-centered: intuitive operability as
  the highest design principle.
• Support from e3 AG in the context of business analysis and process modeling.

Company profile

The Federal Office for Civilian Service CIVI is the central point of contact for all matters relating to civilian alternative service in Switzerland. Thousands of assignments are organized, coordinated and managed every year. The office acts as an interface between those performing alternative civilian service, the companies providing the service and internal departments such as administration, courses, specialist units and legal services.

The variety of players and processes required a modern, integrated solution that efficiently supports all parties involved - while at the same time taking into account legal and security requirements.

Challenges

Like many institutions with historically grown IT systems, ZIVI faced several challenges:

• Replacement of the old system without loss of function: The existing "E-ZIVI" system was getting on in years, but was deeply embedded in the work processes.
  The changeover should not have any negative impact on the
  cause day-to-day business.
• Create acceptance for an MVP: The introduction of an MVP meant that the new application initially only mapped core functions. This required communication, training and a rethink among the user groups.
• Rethinking processes, not just digitizing them: The aim was not only to digitalize existing processes, but also to optimize and automate them.
• Diversity of stakeholders: From legal services to IT and specialist departments through to community service workers - all stakeholders had to be brought on board and integrated.
• Adaptation to real work processes: The system had to be flexible enough to support different usage scenarios and working styles - without rigid process specifications.

Approach

The implementation was based on the principle: "The user leads the system - not the other way around". This meant: maximum user-friendliness, intuitive operation and flexible process design. The specialist application had a modular structure and was successively expanded.

1 Creative workshops as a key to success

The project team adopted a collaborative approach as early as the requirements analysis stage: in interdisciplinary creative workshops, the existing processes were analyzed, scrutinized and re-modelled together with specialist representatives, the legal department, product owners and business analysts.

2 From user stories to MVP

The results of these workshops were translated into user stories that structured the agile development process. The first step was to provide an MVP - a production-ready system with basic functions such as case management and user role management.

3 Agile implementation according to HERMES

Development was iterative and based on the proven Swiss project management framework HERMES. Additional features were added in successive releases, such as an integrated portal for community service providers, course management and interfaces to external systems.

Business impact

The new development of the specialist application not only brought technical improvements, but above all created structural and cultural added value for the organization. It is an example of how digital transformation can succeed - if it is consistently aligned with user needs, process logic and organizational change.

Increased efficiency through process automation:

The digitalization and automation of previously manual work steps has shortened processing times and reduced sources of error. This also corresponds to the insight from business process management that clearly defined, automatable processes lead to greater efficiency and transparency. Employees can concentrate more on value-adding tasks - repetitive activities are increasingly being eliminated.

Flexibility in case processing:

The new system enables users to complete tasks flexibly and in a customized sequence. It thus takes account of modern working realities in which adaptive systems are superior to classic linear processes. Studies on user-friendliness show that systems that adapt to users' cognitive models and workflows significantly increase satisfaction and acceptance.

Higher data quality and better traceability:

Structured input, validation and end-to-end workflows have significantly improved the quality of the recorded data. Clear responsibilities and transparent process paths also promote traceability - a decisive factor in regulated administrative environments.

Intuitive user interface and improved user experience:

The new application was specifically designed according to UX principles: the focus is on simple navigation, clear user guidance and consistent interactions. Studies show that a positive user experience increases productivity, reduces the error rate and shortens the learning curve - especially in complex systems with many user groups.

Iterative development and continuous improvement:

The MVP approach allowed the system to be used productively at an early stage and successively improved based on real feedback. This approach corresponds to the principles of agile software development, in which early feedback, an incremental approach and learning organizations ensure the success of the project - especially in dynamic or less standardized environments.

Sustainability through modern architecture:

The new solution is technologically designed in such a way that it can be easily expanded and adapted. This creates the basis for long-term scalability and flexible handling of future requirements, be it in the course of legal changes or increasing digital interaction with external partners.

Conclusion

With e3 AG as a partner, organizations benefit from a structured, practical approach to digital transformation projects. Well-founded business analysis, targeted process optimization and a methodically sound approach result in solutions that not only meet current requirements, but also have a lasting impact - user-oriented, efficient and future-proof.