Priya Mani

Design Researcher

Priya Mani

x Understanding Time

2010

Design Researcher, CIID Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design

Client: Maersk Line

The aim of the project was to travel to various Maersk operation locations and understand what it meant to be on time, to their employees and the society they lived in.

On Time Delivery is a key enabler of Maersk Line’s vision of being the most reliable logistic service provider and an industry leader. The economic downturn only made this task imperative and a key metric success. Understanding how employees across their global operations understood this vision was therefore important. I was part of a team that conducted research across 8 countries to find local inspiration and meet Maersk employees to get their perspectives and attitudes on local challenges. Through the research we  discovered unspoken working patterns and unmet needs, which were shared with Maersk stakeholders.

I conducted field work in India studying local examples that emphasized punctuality in a service delivery. Some of the systems studied for inspiration were the Dabbawala food delivery system, time keeping by priests for Hindu religious activities, a trust based transfer service for diamonds and cash among others.

Read my travelogue here