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Highland Council

Highland Council introduced its original ‘smart card’ system in 1994, using hardware provided by a local business and a dedicated Highland Council smartcard. The system was then rolled out to most high schools.

The council wanted to modernise and speed up lunch service across its schools, reduce queuing time, and provide anonymity for free school meal pupils. The council recognised that since this operation utilised cash and cards, it needed to improve and modernise the current system to a cashless process at the point of sale.

Installing the cashless system

Highland Council’s corporate plan proposed introducing a ‘single card’ for pupils, enabling access to discounts including leisure, library, and school meals. The council developed a project plan to upgrade each high school on a rolling programme; the new system would be compatible with the National Entitlement Card (NEC).

  • Two schools with tills at point of sale
  • The remaining primary schools use a pre-­order system, utilising netbooks

Enhancements to the original project also included Pre-Order Kiosks, which pupils can use to order their meals via an interactive screen. This system sped up the checkout process and reduced queues, proving very popular with pupils.

Student buying lunch in a school cafeteria

Marketing & Promotion

Presentations were made to pupils and staff in each school before the installation. During induction days, all P7s are introduced to the cashless operation in senior schools as part of their transition to high school.

Project Management

CRB Cunninghams was involved with the project from the start, with regular meetings between service management, CRBC representatives, and ICT, enhancing the working relationships between service management and supplier.

“It was imperative that CRB Cunninghams be involved pre- and post-installation and be available to provide advice and guidance at all project stages. There was an excellent relationship between service management and CRB Cunninghams throughout the project. CRBC provided specialists to ‘thrash’ out the detail of complex operational issues”

– Service Manager at Highland Council

Centralised benefits for all schools

  • Standardisation of catering operations across the authority
  • A single card for multiple applications, i.e. leisure, school meals use
  • Incentives for pupils who use National Entitlement Card (NEC), i.e. discounts and reward points
  • A central server, improving data access and management
  • Centralised menu management and performance management reporting
Student buying lunch with a cashless card

Future Developments

Highland Council continues to develop and improve on the initial installation and plan to do this in the following areas:

  • Evaluate pre-­order kiosks to increase the number of access points in secondary schools.
  • Extend smartboards in line with the council plan to all primary schools.
  • Install external catering units, such as a ‘snack shack’ linked to the cashless system.

Highland Council has expressed that they are delighted the project achieved and met objectives:

“CRBC provided excellent technical support, delivering training to staff and pupils. Post-installation CRBC also provided a responsive and supportive ‘help desk’ resource, available to all catering staff, offering a dial-­in facility to council systems to resolve problems remotely. 

Given the distances across the Highland Council area, site visits are not the quickest way to remedy unit problems, making this an excellent service. However, site visits are always available if the remote access option does not achieve a resolution”

– Service Manager at Highland Council

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