Contact
Menu

Shaping Woonstad Rotterdam

All projects

Project

Inspiration Journey

Expertise

Transformation Strategy

A three-day inspirational journey where we learned from companies in various sectors that face similar challenges.

Woonstad Rotterdam is the largest housing corporation in Rotterdam, providing a home for over 100,000 people. For Woonstad Rotterdam, it was crucial to place the customer at the center of their (IT) services. To gather inspiration, they looked to organizations inside and outside the sector that face similar challenges. This led to the decision to organize an inspirational journey. By engaging with companies such as KNAB, Bol.com, and PostNL, they learned about collaboration between different departments, establishing the right technical foundation, embedding customer-centric thinking in the company’s DNA, and sustainable innovation. The journey, which included a broad representation of the organization, also contributed to strengthening internal connections and collaboration. This laid a strong foundation for making progress towards a more customer-oriented organization.

Approach

For developing a (renewed) strategy, it is undoubtedly valuable to gain insights from companies that are further along in the process, allowing you to learn from solutions that have proven to be successful. But how can you achieve this? We believe that a complete inspirational journey is an excellent approach.

For Woonstad Rotterdam, we first conducted interviews and organized a kick-off workshop to understand their specific needs and questions. Based on that, we created a tailor-made program, with relevant speakers and company visits, striking the perfect balance between listening, experiencing, and reflecting. For this edition, we took “fully taken care of” quite literally. In addition to the usual speakers, unique locations, and guidance, we also arranged accommodations, dining, and (sustainable) transportation. Together, we embarked on a journey through Delft, Amsterdam, and Rotterdam, traveling by bus, metro, and even bicycle! Before we departed, all participants received an introduction to the speakers as well as inspiring podcasts and articles to get them into the right mindset.

Result

This inspiring journey through the Netherlands was a great opportunity for Woonstad to visit unique locations and companies, ranging from innovative housing corporations to established corporates. Experts shared their insights and experiences through lectures and/or guided tours. Engaging interactions with the speakers led to valuable discussions. Throughout the trip, each participant had time for individual reflection, allowing them to discover what truly inspires them, what should be prioritized, and what still are the doubts. Group reflection encouraged discussions on what to stop, continue, and start, focusing on how we, as leaders, can change our behavior. This journey strengthened the connections among participants and challenged them to refine their ideas. It provided the motivation and energy needed to embrace and realize renewal, improvement, and change.

“We were already aware of the power of an inspiration trip and this time we chose to do it under the guidance of Digital Shapers. I am very pleased with the professionalism and care of everything down to the last detail. Very interesting speakers, well facilitated, beautiful locations and got incredibly inspired by the varied program. For us, the goal of the trip was to connect. We picked up a number of initiatives upon returning home and now know how to find and support each other.”

Kim Bosman – Director Innovation, Digitalisation and Technology at Woonstad Rotterdam