Cases Overview | Launchpad Postauto

From stagecoaches to mobility-as-a-service –  
How PostAuto reinvented its business model for
the 21st century

With a fleet of 2,400 vehicles, a network spanning more than 12,000 kilometers, and 155 million passengers transported every year, PostAuto is the market leader in public bus transport in Switzerland. For more than 100 years, the subsidiary of the Swiss Post has provided regional and rural bus services throughout the entire country.

In the past century, the traditional company has witnessed many radical changes: the stagecoaches evolved into motorized buses, the parcel delivery was split from public transportation, and the fleet was modernized with fuel cell technology and Wi-Fi

Having always been at the forefront of innovation, PostAuto viewed the emergence of digital technologies as an opportunity to extend their existing range of public transport services. Being aware of mobility trends such as on-demand mobility or mobility-as-a-service, they developed an idea of how to leverage digitization to create additional value for their customers: a door-to-door ridesharing service.

However, since it was not clear whether there was a need for such a service in Switzerland, nor how to implement such a service in a rural area, Postbus was looking for a way to test its idea in a low-risk and low-cost way.

Similar situation? We’re happy to help.

A methodical approach that de-risked an innovation project step-by-step and maximized the learning experience was needed. That is why PostAuto decided to partner with the BMI Lab. With the BMI Launchpad, they chose an integrated offering that supports companies throughout the entire business model innovation process – from the initial idea to the market launch within six months.

This is how the idea became a success story for PostAuto.

“Kollibri has landed successfully, “is how PostAuto concluded the pilot project one year after offering its first shared ride. After completing an average of 25 rides a day, transporting 1230 individual users to their doorsteps, and receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback, they found that door-to-door shuttle services meet a customer need for on-demand transportation on the first and last mile.

Valuable insights

The primary goal of PostAuto was to learn as much as possible about mobility as a service and to determine under which economic conditions an on-demand service could be operated in rural Switzerland. Thanks to BML Lab’s assumption-based approach, PostAuto was able to learn
more about their passengers’ needs, and swiftly act upon their findings.

For example, when realizing that many users booked rides to or from train stations, they offered a special discount for travelers with public transportation subscriptions were able to significantly increase the number of rides. Not only will these insights inform future follow-up projects, but they can also be used to improve the current offerings, such as bus schedules and routes.

Follow-up projects

Since PostAuto was able to establish a broad acceptance of on-demand solutions among the general public, they decided to set up a separate department for mobility as a service. Based on the insights gained in the Brugg region project, numerous other areas of application were subsequently tested: Kollibri as a complement to public transportation, Kollibri as a substitute for public transportation in peripheral areas or at off-peak times, and Kollibri Junior – a service that relieves parents of regular trips to sports or music lessons. With each project, PostAuto is able to gain new insights and refine its offering.

But the initiative did not only have an external impact. Developing and operating such a digital product creates new competencies which must not be contained to the new department for mobility as a service. Leveraging their new technologies and skills, PostAuto is now also digitizing its core business products and processes.

The BMI Launchpad is an integrated offering to bring novel business models to the market. The BMI Lab guides companies along every step of the way: from ideating innovative business model ideas to piloting them on the market within six months.

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