Implementation of new application and digital pass system
For Amsterdam residents with lower incomes, activities like going to a dance class, the library, a birdwatching group, a debate, a theater performance or a museum aren’t always accessible. Based on the idea that everyone should be able to participate, the municipality of Amsterdam created the Stadspas over 25 years ago – a pass that offers all residents of the city the opportunity to enjoy the beauty that the city has to offer. "With the Stadspas, Amsterdam residents with a small wallet receive all kinds of financial benefits when undertaking activities or purchasing products in the areas of culture, recreation, exercise and health," says Harro Hoogerwerf, who has been working as head of the Poverty Reduction Department at the City of Amsterdam for the past year. "It's a product we are proud of, because through the Stadspas we are creating more equal opportunities"
Modern, cheaper and flexible system
The Stadspas has two target groups: retirees receiving AOW benefits and residents with an income below 120 per cent of the welfare threshold. Hoogerwerf: "Both groups receive the standard discounts offered by the Stadspas. Depending on their pension, AOW recipients may receive additional offers on top of this. For those in the lower-income group, everyone qualifies for these offers.
Until recently, these offers consisted of paper coupons that could be redeemed at participating agencies. That system that had seen its best days, because the administration was very laborious. In addition, the municipality wanted to get rid of the dated, expensive and inflexible Stadspas application. "Our desire was twofold," Hoogerwerf explained. "We wanted to switch to a modern, cheaper and more flexible application for the Stadspas as well as replace the paper vouchers with a digital system. A job we couldn't do without outside help."
Sharp project management
Highberg was asked to manage the entire project: from architectural design, selection, development and implementation of the new application to the implementation of the digital voucher system for the Stadspas Amsterdam. Hoogerwerf: "There were several challenges there, such as deciding exactly what we wanted, keeping the external parties on their toes and cooperating with the many institutions that provide offers through the pass."
Highberg played an important role in all these areas. "For example, a support team was set up by Highberg to visit institutions struggling to integrate the Stadspas into their own POS system," Hoogerwerf said. "You would think there’s one standard cash register system in the Netherlands, but there are more than you’d expect. A lot of institutions got stuck as a result. Highberg cleverly solved that by sending a support team to help them on-site."
Digital offerings
Meanwhile, the switch from the paper Stadspas to a digital Stadspas is a fact. All offers and discounts are now automatically loaded onto the pass, benefiting both the municipality and the users. Hoogerwerf: "Users can no longer lose their receipts and only have to have their pass scanned at the cash register; the municipality and institutions are rid of the administrative hassle with the receipts."
The biggest gain
The greatest advantage of the digital Stadspas is that the municipality can better monitor usage. "Previously, we could only see how many people used a particular offer," Hoogerwerf says. "Now we also know where they come from and their age. This data allows us to improve the offers and, in time, make it more specific for the various target groups, allowing us to better serve Stadspas holders even better."
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