Belgian Diplomatic card

VAT RETURNS CARD FOR DIPLOMATS

We planned, designed and developed the front desk system, used in all retail locations. A single, coherent, cross-device, cross-platform, multi-language and API driven solution.

Design
development
API
PM
QA
UX / UI

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The Story

Solving Europe’s VAT claims inconveniences

Brussels, considered the de facto capital of the European Union, has an enormous ammount of diplomatic officials. All of them need to submit hundreds of documents each month to claim their VAT returns. Most of them just don’t do it because it is too much hassle. The Diplomatic Card team has recognized this as well as many of the problems/opportunities associated with it. As a startup company they aim to solve one of the hardest ‘money’ problems for belgian diplomats - VAT claims for retail purchases.

The Challenges

Create a simple and easy to use interface, keeping in mind that the users
of this system have no technical experience or knowledge whatsoever.
The look and feel of the system must be identical on all devices and platforms
to mitigate the negative effects of the steep learning curve for users.
Implement the existing VAT transactions API,
working closely with the development team.
Create multi step verification and purchase flows
for the various stores and retail locations.
Create a communications framework between the client,
the API team and our team to keep the whole project on track and in scope.
Create detailed implementation documentation for all internal and
external API calls to ensure consistency and coherence.

The Goals

The timeline was critical for the project. So we had to complete
the project within the designated timeframe. The clock was ticking.
The user interface must be beautiful, simple and easy to use because the users
of the system are likely to have little to no technical knowledge.

The Impact

Currently the way VAT claims are made involves a huge amount of paperwork which has to be filed, checked and stored manually, which increases the both the cost and time needed to claim VAT returns while also allowing for many mistakes. Those are just some of the reasons why many don’t take advantage of the VAT claims - it’s too much of a hassle. The rollout of this platform would allow thousands of diplomats, politicians, delegations and country representatives to make VAT claims and get their VAT back a great deal easier and faster, thus motivating them to actually do it.

Top Three
Project Features

Create a platform that is fast, secure, easy to use and has the same look and feel across different devices and platforms. The platform would run in retail stores and provide all the tools necessary to accept, validate and process transactions, calculate VATs and store all the data via an API.

Create a great UX/UI for the different usage scenarios, ensuring a clear and understandable workflow for non-technical users. The users of the platform will include store clerks, cashiers and other retail staff. There would be multiple use scenarios depending on the type of retails store the platform serves.

Communicate constantly with all interested parties to finish the project on time, in budget and in scope. This is a necessity, because the project is being developed by a multi-national team, located in different countries. A communications framework and execution planning needs to be in place for the work to go as planned.

The Results

Managing the communication as well as the scope and requirements, we were able to work very productively with all involved parties and we able to deliver the whole project on time and in budget. We are eager for the platform launch and the upcoming expansion into other markets.

A single platform for managing retail
VAT claims was created.

Ben Pintens

Chief Executive Officer

"Without the help of Startup Masters we would have been working on this project for years. Their excellent project management and attention to detail was what made this project a reality. If you need something done well ... give them a call!"