Implementation of new application and digital pass system
Going to a dance class, the library, a birdwatching group, a debate, theater performance or, say, museum. For Amsterdam residents with a lower income, these activities are not always obvious. 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 City Pass we are creating more equal opportunities."
Modern, cheaper and flexible system
The City Pass has two target groups: AOWs and people with an income below 120 percent of the welfare standard. Hoogerwerf: "Both groups receive the standard discounts offered by the City Pass. Depending on their pension, AOW'ers receive additional offers on top of this. In the group that is less well-off, everyone gets these offers. Until recently, these offers consisted of paper coupons that could be turned in at the agencies."
A 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 City Pass application. "Our desire was twofold," Hoogerwerf explains. "We wanted to switch to a modern, cheaper and more flexible application for the Stadspas as well as replace the paper voucher system with a digital voucher system. A job we couldn't do without outside help."
Sharp project management
Highberg was asked to carry out the entire project management: from architectural design, selection, development and implementation of a 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 realize the offers for us."
Highberg played an important role in all these areas. "For example, a support team was set up by Highberg to visit institutions that were having problems integrating the City Pass into their own POS system," Hoogerwerf said. "You would think: there is one cash register system in the Netherlands, but there are more than you think. A lot of institutions got stuck as a result. Highberg cleverly solved that by sending a support team to them that thought along on the spot."
Digital offerings
Meanwhile, the switch from the paper City Pass to a digital City Pass is a fact. All offers and discounts are now automatically loaded onto the pass, which has advantages for 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 the institutions are rid of the administrative hassle with the receipts."
The biggest gain
The biggest gain of the digital City Pass is that the municipality can better monitor usage. "Before, we saw how many people came to a particular offer," Hoogerwerf says. "Now we also know where they come from, how old they are. This data allows us to improve the offer and, in time, make it more specific for the various target groups, so that we serve City Pass holders even better."
If you would like to know more, call us at 079-3681000 or contact Pim Schouten.
