EUKN - European Urban Knowledge Network - Virtual business desk

Virtual business desk - Zaanstad

Introduction

The City of Zaanstad has arranged an account system for businesses and citizens in which, in principle, the customer does business with one official (contact person). The city will also be providing the customer with information via the Internet. To this end, the local authority will be linking up with the national virtual business desk of the Chambers of Commerce.

Problem

Today's customer has many questions, the answering of which is time consuming. In many cases answers can (also) be provided in some other way, for example via the Internet. Businesses have specific questions of their own which the local authority should focus on.

Description

Zaanstad has had a front office for citizens, dealing with matters relating to such things as housing and construction, for many years. In spite of this, there was room for improvement in customer service (for businesses and citizens) in the complicated field of permits.
In addition, there was criticism regarding the internal procedure for the issuing of building permits insofar as not every department was sufficiently involved in the decision-making process. This resulted in the opinion of certain departments being decisive in nature.

Approach

The project partly falls under the Multi Channel Front Office programme, but extends beyond it with the District and City Services participating in the processes mentioned.
Development along the lines of the Zaanse project method: steering group, programme management, project management, fixed pattern of planning (Plan of Approach), reporting and evaluation.
Steering group in the first phase of the project composed of the managers of the Public, District and City services. The second phase is placed more in line.
External office hired for partial assistance.
Seeking links to national developments, in particular those regarding the provision of virtual information.
Conscious coupling of developments in Zaanstad with those relating to the Big City Policy (G26), in which Zaanstad is recipient for the sounding board " Physical and Virtual Business Desk" (“Fysiek en Virtueel Bedrijvenloket”).

Results

A new process of construction initiatives called " rich in initiative".
The starting point is an advisory phase or feasibility study, to be conducted by an account holder from one of the three services. Depending upon the nature of the question and its complexity, it is one of the following account holders who takes up the initiative: Business Desk or Citizen Desk BWB from the Public Services (Dienst Publiek, quantitatively having the largest scope), the so-called area management of the District Services (Dienst Wijken) or an account holder from the department for Economic Development and Employment of the City Services (having the smallest scope, particularly oriented towards acquisition).
Participation of Zaanstad in the national project "virtual business desk" conducted by the Association of Chambers of Commerce and the National Tax Authority, and partly subsidised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.

Contact info

City of Zaanstad
M. Klop (Head of Section, Front Office Public Services), tel. +31 75 6816627

Project start date

01/01/2002

Links

City of Zaanstad

Document type

case

Themes

Urban Policy > Economy knowledge & employment > Urban economy

Keywords

Business support