LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games)
SUMMARY
For London 2012, Novacroft developed a novel pairing solution which fulfilled LOCOG‘s need for 100% precision in matching volunteers’ accreditation cards to Oyster cards loaded with the right travel products and also guaranteed correct card stocks at each Olympic venue and rapid identification of fraudulent use.
THE CHALLENGE
The Games Makers on whom so much of the Olympic Games’ organisation and spirit relied needed to be able to travel around London to the right venue each day without being out of pocket. LOCOG’s goal was a special Olympics Oyster Volunteer smart travel card pre-loaded with the correct amount of credit to cover the volunteer’s needs on the day of their shifts. To work successfully and securely, the solution had to ensure that the Oyster Volunteer cards were matched with absolute accuracy to the volunteers’ accreditation card and that those in the field and the office had complete scheme visibility.
THE SOLUTION
Novacroft’s business analysts, software developers and Transport for London account managers worked together to create a comprehensive solution that included:
- A bespoke matching system for accreditation cards and travel smartcards
- Smartcard personalisation and production with a special Oyster Volunteers design
- Pre-loading of cards with credit to cover volunteers’ travel needs
- Our InNovator Card Management System, built with resilience for use in the field as a top priority, sitting behind the pairing system
- Contact Centre support by specially trained advisors for on-site teams dealing with replacements.
THE BENEFITS FOR GAMES MAKERS
For volunteers, their pre-paid, all-zone Oyster Volunteer card meant that:
- Their travel costs in the capital were covered
- They didn’t need to worry about having the right change
- Their journeys were easier with a touch in/out ticket
- They had a tangible sign of their status in the city – and its thanks.
THE ADVANTAGES FOR LOCOG
The integration of the new matching system with card production and management created a seamless solution that:
- Allowed same-day issue of cards
- Got Games Makers to the right venue at the right time
- Matched volunteers to travel needs and cards, minimising ticket wastage
- Contributed to faster transit for all through the transport network
- Provided specialist support by phone for staff in the field
- Identified fraudulent card use
- Enabled on-site logging, via InNovator, of the reason for card replacement plus card deactivation
- Ensured the right stocks of cards were ordered and available at each venue
- Scheme progress could be easily monitored and reported via InNovator.