Clarity Leisure
Smart card solution: Bracknell Forest Borough Council
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Bracknell Forest Borough Council operates a diverse range of leisure and community facilities. In order to improve service access and to meet Interoperability eGovernment (IEG) policy targets, the authority (a leading player in the National Smart Card Project) was keen to maximise smart card usage. Clarity delivered a fully integrated, multi-site solution - combining smart card technology with operational management and POS systems - which modernises and improves service delivery. The Bracknell solution is seen as a best practice example of the use of smart card technology by a local authority.
Client
Bracknell Forest Borough Council (BFBC) delivers a wide range of services to the local community, and has been at the forefront of the National Smart Card Project, providing best practice guidance on smart card issues to local authorities nationwide. Optimising access to high quality leisure provision is seen as a priority, and the council offers an outstanding range of facilities, including a number of sports centres, water based sports and leisure facilities, and a municipal golf centre incorporating retail, hospitality, dining and conference facilities.
Brief
Background
The impetus for the use of smart card technology has been driven by the Interoperability eGovernment (IEG) policy targets. IEG requires local authorities to build effective e-services for their customers, and to demonstrate progress in a number of key priority areas. Implementation of smart card solutions covering leisure and libraries is effectively mandatory by April 2006.
Bracknell's 'edge' smart card
Bracknell Forest Borough Council had introduced its smart card to library customers and was keen to extend its usage. The card entitles holders to discounts and special offers in over 100 local shops, restaurants, attractions and businesses, and the council was keen to utilise the 'e-purse' potential of the card further. The card offered opportunities for non-cash payments for a variety of services including public transport, car parking, school meals, other council services, and so on, as well as to improve leisure centre membership and booking facilities.
Objectives
The brief from Bracknell's leisure department involved integrating the council's existing smart card (marketed as the 'edge' card) with operational management and point of sale (POS) IT systems, in order to maximise the quality and availability of services delivered to customers. Doing this would contribute to a number of ambitious service and policy objectives, such as;
- increasing public access to services
- speeding the leisure centre bookings process
- improving customer service and loyalty levels
- promoting cross-site usage
- meeting modernisation targets set by central government
Solution
Clarity has successfully interfaced Bracknell's edge smart card with integrated leisure management and point of sale solutions. The system has initially been implemented across four sites, including the borough's main leisure centre, two dual use sites and the golf complex, and rollout across further centres is planned.
Clarity worked with a third party smart card reader provider to ensure the technology dovetailed seamlessly with other systems. Single terminals are now used to handle multiple transactions for leisure accessory, refreshment and merchandise sales as well as for bookings, ticketing and membership enquiries. Customers can use their edge card e-purse facility to book and pay for services, or can check and top-up their balance at tills, and new cards can be issued more quickly and easily - complete with a digital image of the holder, taken on-site using a webcam.
Outcomes
By delivering a fully integrated solution - combining smart card technology with operational management and POS solutions - across multiple sites, Clarity has helped Bracknell improve service levels and access for customers, modernising service delivery and improving performance across the board.
The incorporation of a digital image of the cardholder on the smart card makes an excellent and secure form of identification for service users. It also helps tackle important social issues, allowing parents for example, to ensure that their children can receive school meals and use public transport, without the need to carry cash.
Leisure centre staff have observed how the integrated smart card boosts front of house service. Sudden bursts of activity, for instance when an aerobics class is about to begin, can now be dealt with amazingly quickly and efficiently - and that translates into cost savings, as well as more loyal customers and a more contented workforce.
The Bracknell solution is seen as a leading edge, best practice example of the use of smart card technology to improve local authority service delivery.
Further information on smart card issues:
www.nationalsmartcardproject.org.uk
www.localegovnp.org
