their promise
endless possibilities
Rotterdam Partners is the main partner organisation for the city of Rotterdam and responsible for destination marketing and investment promotion. Together with their partners, they attract international companies, congresses and visitors to the city in order to build towards a future-proof and resilient Rotterdam economy. Known for its vibrant and innovative spirit, Rotterdam is positioned as a dynamic, future-forward and diverse city where experiments are embraced and people think in solutions.
Their brand promise is two-fold: for the city it’s: “Rotterdam. Make it Happen.” For the organisation it’s: “We connect you to Rotterdam”
the challenge
streamline operational processes for optimal customer experience
Rotterdam Partners started a digital transformation with the objectives to shift towards to a digital-first service delivery, to scale up to generate more impact and to create more value for customers and stakeholders. For an effective digital transformation, they realised they not only needed to focus on the technical infrastructure and development of their digital services, but also needed to streamline their internal operations to deliver the redesigned customer experience.
Rotterdam Partners asked Essense to help align their internal workflows, optimise their customer interactions into seamless experiences across digital and in-person channels, and inform next steps in their digital transformation.
“The results helped to align our management team and organisation on the ambition for improved service delivery to our customers. It allows us to make the right choices in our digital transformation and to develop the organisation, focusing on the right priorities in the right order.”
Yi-Ling Lam
Strategic Advisor Rotterdam Partners
our approach
The project was structured into 4 steps to address the challenges. Three parallel tracks were set up to focus on the three key target groups of Rotterdam Partners: investors (international companies), congress owners and visitors. Each track involved specific stakeholders within the organisation with relevant expertise or knowledge of that segment.
step 1
map operations along the journey
In interactive work sessions, our service designers mapped the service delivery towards each target group by identifying ‘who does what when’ in each step of the customer journey. The session aimed to foster a shared understanding and collaborative spirit among the teams.
step 2: drive cross-functional alignment
Together with internal stakeholders from all functions (both front-office and back-office), all challenges and opportunities were identified that could potentially improve the service delivery, streamline the operation and needed to be facilitated by digitalisation. Various themes emerged that were translated into innovation areas.
step 3: co-creating the ambition
The ideal service delivery was blueprinted, orchestrating activities and processes for a seamless experience across all channels. The participants appreciating the structured approach, the valuable discussions and the clarity it brought to their roles and responsibilities in relation to each other. This positive feedback underscored the session’s effectiveness in promoting a customer-centric mindset and improving internal communication.
step 4: align on the ambition for customer-centric operations
Post-session, the blueprints were refined to accurately reflect the identified opportunities and aggregated to a blueprint for the organisation as a whole. These blueprints served as an important visual aid to reach consensus on the ambition for customer-centric and digital-first operation, because the management team and internal stakeholders recognised their own processes while seeing the cohesion and similarities. This paves the way for a roadmap with prioritised initiatives to start realising the ambition.
Proces maps per segment
Ambition blueprint
Change management
the outcomes
understanding responsibilities
Enhanced clarity and understanding of roles and responsibilities within the organisation.
more cohesive service delivery
Improved coordination and collaboration across functions, leading to more cohesive service delivery.
clustering key opportunities
Identification and clustering of key opportunities for operational improvements.
blueprint with strategic goals
A blueprint for the aspired service delivery, in line with brand promise and strategic goals.
development priorities
A foundation for digital transformation, with clear development priorities from a customer perspective.
increased engagement
Positive stakeholder feedback, increased engagement and a shift towards a customer-centric culture.
Sander Kruitwagen
Head of Operations