MEET OUR CODE_N CONTEST FINALISTS 2018: WorkHeld from Austria

06/25/2018 | CODE_n Alumni, CODE_n18 Startup CONTEST, Interview

WorkHeld integrates an intelligent voice assistant to guide real-time work management and project collaboration for efficient production, assembly and maintenance processes from start to end. It’s about bettering business agility and redefining how people work irrespective of the industry sector. Find out more in our interview with CEO and founder of the Vienna-based startup, Benjamin Schwärzler.

Aishah: What is WorkHeld all about?

Benjamin: WorkHeld is a Siri-like solution for the workplace. It offers voice assistance and enables easy documentation through the most natural form of interaction: the voice. Underneath the hood, WorkHeld has a lot more to offer. It’s a work management platform that optimizes and streamlines production, assembly, and service and maintenance processes. It provides a platform for efficient order processing and facilitates communication between process coordinators and technicians. WorkHeld enables real-time information sharing and digitalizes entire processes – from incoming orders to the customer signature. The software’s key features include transparent project planning, functions for recording work and travel times, material and defect management, and automated reporting. WorkHeld is also the first field management software on the market to feature an intelligent voice assistant. WorkHeld is a complete solution for project coordination and field service.

Aishah: How did you come up with the idea?

Benjamin: The idea behind WorkHeld arose from experiencing how most companies still work with paper outside of the factory. We wanted to digitalize their work with tablets and found that solutions in this area must be very easy to use and practical. So WorkHeld was developed with a strong focus on usability and is based on actual workplace practice. Our goal was to develop a software platform that simplifies work by using the very latest technology. Our intelligent voice assistant is an excellent example of this. It helps to simplify the processes of production, assembly, and service and maintenance. Typing and clicking are no longer necessary, which does away with problems caused by wearing gloves, dirty hands, or poor typing skills. Voice interaction enables genuine multitasking – information can be retrieved or documented while technicians focus on solving technical problems.

Aishah: What issues are you trying to solve?

Benjamin: We want to enable the distribution of information in real time, from forwarding work orders to technicians all the way to obtaining the final client signature. This also radically simplifies the process of documentation and ensures that reports are much more comprehensive and detailed. This results in faster overall order processing and cost savings. It also provides the perfect basis for optimizing future maintenance intervals and proactively preventing downtimes through data analysis.

Aishah: You mentioned that your solution also works offline. Can you explain to our readers how that works? And how are you contributing to the disruption of your field?

Benjamin: Field workers often have to travel to locations where there is no internet access (remote construction sites, basements, etc.). But they still need tools they can rely on. So, we designed WorkHeld to provide core functionality offline. The app is fully functional even without internet access. All information, including plans, part lists, and drawings, is available at all times. Documentation can also be worked on completely offline. Data is synchronized the next time internet access becomes available again, even after several hours or days. WorkHeld contributes to disruption by redesigning how field workers and head office work together. It’s about making work easier, faster, and more effective. The reason we can do this is that we have based WorkHeld on actual workplace practice, so it’s a response to real problems and potential use cases. We use the very latest technology to make work easier for people.

Aishah: Thank you for the interview, Benjamin!

Meet WorkHeld at the new.New Festival 2018 this fall, in Stuttgart!