I always find myself getting frustrated whenever I visit the local council offices in Amsterdam. Today I was in the Zeeburg area trying to renew my driver licence.
It was pretty busy with almost 40 people waiting and 3 desks serving people. The automated ticketing system was not working so they had resorted to a manual system. I measured that the average closure per client was 10 minutes. No wonder there was a big queue developing. After 30 minutes I decided to leave … it was a beautiful day outside and there was no way I was going to stay inside.
Have the government really changed there fundamental processes with computers?
Everything still remains paper orientated pushed by computers. Is this really where we are today… no wonder our taxes are so ridiculously high. Is this the way of the future? I certainly hope not.
I am a regular skier and whenever I visit the Ski Amade area of Austria they are very well organised with a fast turn around time from registering your application for a ski pass, taking a digital photo graph while you stand there to printing a pass with your photo on it. BTW – This photograph is displayed at any one of many of the ski lifts as you walk through the gates.
Why then does the Dutch government still resort to paper based photographs? Yes, first one has to visit a shop; pay and have your photo taken to the required specification. Then take the photo(s) with you to the council. The photos are then pasted onto a paper form and onto your identity pass. Is this productivity? Not only is it costly in terms of administration and time to process but it is not environmentally friendly.
Its time for change! Don’t put up with it. Rebel! Lobby your incompetent council members.
