NS

N.V. Dutch Railways is a Dutch railway company. The NS transports about one million passengers in five thousand train rides via around 320 stations each day.

The old NS logo had existed for 47 years and was no longer reflective of Dutch society. To be able to convey the familiar face of NS in a recognisable and coherent way, a well functioning Brand Portal was essential, one that could better cater for NS’ wishes. There was a demand for a faster way to locate suitable branding material, as well as possibilities to work more efficiently within the branding guidelines.

VIM Group was asked to find a software vendor that could translate NS’ wishes into an all-encompassing, efficiency-enhancing Brand Portal. Firstly, VIM set up a roadmap describing what steps should be taken to achieve the desired outcome. In addition, the requirements of the Portal were mapped out. A Tender followed, where VIM selected the best-equipped software developer for this job. Under our guidance, they implemented a completely new system. This contained footage of all brand carriers, logos and source files intuitively organised in a central location. For photographers and image developers, it was also easy to upload their material. Training made sure that NS employees could get started with the Brand Portal as soon as possible.

VIM also supported NS in making the right choices when organising responsibilities and tasks. To ensure that everything in the Portal remains within NS’ branding guidelines, new incoming content is screened beforehand. This means that keeping within the brand guidelines is guaranteed and NS employees work only with NS approved material.

Through dedicated project management and efficient collaboration with interested parties, VIM have been able to implement the new signage and signage system with precision.

The new Brand Portal contains a feature that tracks statistics and user behaviour. Based on this information, combined with data from a user survey, the Portal is kept up-to-date. With a keyword monitor, NS can see what employees look for and what is relevant. Based on this search behaviour, the Portal is further developed, allowing employees to find their required materials even faster and more efficiently. Furthermore, the new Portal can produce reports and updates on new branding guidelines or functionalities. Newly uploaded photos or other images are also displayed, so that everyone is kept updated on the latest developments.

The Portal has seen some impressive usage statistics and now posters, flyers, leaflets and other (marketing) materials are produced quicker. This leads to a faster time-to-market, and a significant cost reduction.