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A laptop with books scattered in front of it, representing a link between digital and traditional learning.

Modern knowledge management

How service technicians pass on their knowledge via the Teams app

BMW Group Logo
DeutscheBahn_logo-2
Creditreform Logo
DERTOUR
jochen-schweizer
Dräger Logo
kuka
BMW Group Logo
DeutscheBahn_logo-2
Creditreform Logo
DERTOUR
jochen-schweizer
Dräger Logo
kuka
ProSieben_Logo_2015-2
Mercedes
Miele Logo
Volkswagen Logo
DEKRA
stihl
Sonax_logo
Weidmüller logo
ProSieben_Logo_2015-2
Mercedes
Miele Logo
Volkswagen Logo
DEKRA
stihl
Sonax_logo
Weidmüller logo
HomeResearch & DevelopmentModern knowledge management

Preserve experience

How do I pass on knowledge from one generation to the next? One of our customers approached us with a problem that is likely to become relevant for other companies in the near future: Many employees in the skilled trade sales force will be retiring in the next few years. Over the course of their working lives, they have faced different, highly individual challenges that they have solved depending on the situation. This implicit knowledge is not necessarily part of the training content and is rarely documented. It is therefore difficult to pass on to the new generation of service technicians.

A laptop shows a situation menu next to a smartphone with Microsoft Teams for NextWeKnow Local applications.

Capture knowledge digitally

To counteract this effect, we have developed an application that enables service technicians to record this implicit knowledge digitally. They are guided step by step to describe their individual solution to a situation they have experienced in their day-to-day work. First, they describe the situation with all its parameters in a structured way - for example, weather conditions, people present or lighting conditions. Then they freely describe the specific problems they encountered and how they solved them.

The data records entered can be evaluated and categorized by experts and exported and evaluated by the knowledge management team. The data is stored completely anonymously in order to comply with the customer's strict data protection guidelines.

Implementation as MS Teams app

The application was developed as an app for Microsoft Teams. As the service technicians primarily use it to communicate, their access to knowledge input is very low-threshold. The application can be easily downloaded from your company's own Teams app store and used immediately.

In the office, a person in a mint green polo shirt is sitting in front of a laptop and talking to someone else.

First Teams app development with React-northstar and Azure technologies

This was the first time MaibornWolff had developed a Teams app. With React, Nest.js and hosting on Azure, the basic infrastructure includes familiar and tried-and-tested technologies. A bigger challenge was using the right component library. In contrast to other Microsoft applications, Teams does not use the widespread and well-documented Fluent UI, but the experimental React-northstar variant.

The Next.WeKnow Local user interface prompts the user to choose from various technical topics and to register for binding expert meetings.

Automated end-to-end tests and user permissions for Teams app

Another topic was end-to-end testing. Teams requires logging in with a multi-factor-secured Office account, which must also be used for end-to-end tests. We automated the more complex login process using Playwright. Furthermore, authorizations had to be requested in several places in the customer's Office system in order to roll out the application and make it available to the right users.

A modern office building with the Microsoft logo stretches out under a clear blue sky.

Close exchange with Microsoft

Although many companies use Teams intensively in times of Corona, there are almost no self-developed Teams applications. As a result, we had hardly any references that we could use to look for solutions to our problems. Due to this pioneering role and our partnership with Microsoft, we were in close contact with the responsible Microsoft employees. This enabled us to clear up many uncertainties and deliver a high-quality product. We were also able to provide valuable feedback to Microsoft in order to pave the way for future Teams applications.

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