Case in short
The Red Cross supports numerous large-scale events each year, including the Nijmegen Four Days marches. The Nijmegen Four Days Marches is the world’s largest multiple-day walking event, held annually in the Netherlands, where tens of thousands of participants walk up to 50 km per day over four consecutive days. Yet, the Red Cross struggled with outdated systems, disconnected Excel files, and time-consuming volunteer planning. In collaboration with LINKIT, the organization embarked on a digital transformation using OutSystems.The outcome? Two user-friendly apps that cut planning time by more than 75%, reduce error-proneness, and provide a more efficient, pleasant way of working for both planners and volunteers.
From the Nijmegen Four Days Marches to Pinkpop, the Red Cross supports dozens of large-scale events each year that require hundreds of volunteers. Planning and coordinating all that deployment is a complex puzzle, particularly when relying on outdated, disconnected systems. Together with LINKIT, the Red Cross developed an efficient, user-friendly, and highly scalable system comprising both a volunteer registration app and an event management tool. This new approach not only enables faster scheduling and better oversight but, above all, creates a more enjoyable way of working for everyone involved in these major events.
Challenge: legacy systems and complex processes
Every year, hundreds of Red Cross volunteers stand ready to help at major events. For example, the Nijmegen Four Days requires between 700 and 800 people, deployed across various posts, days, and locations. Each volunteer has their own availability and qualifications, creating a large operational puzzle. This challenge was made more complicated by reliance on separate Excel files and an outdated planning application.
“What we had was a disconnected system from which we had to extract data every year. Then we had to clear it out and refill it for a new edition of the event,” explains Jan Veldhuis, CoE Lead Outsystems at the Red Cross. “Volunteers had to re-enter and upload all their data annually, even though much of that data was already present in our systems.”
To address this, the Red Cross adopted a new approach: a low-code solution in OutSystems, developed in co-creation with LINKIT. Jan adds:
“We already had experience with OutSystems, especially because of the speed and good integration possibilities. The collaboration with LINKIT emerged because of their expertise in this domain and their flexible way of working.”
Approach: broad co-creation
A rigorous development trajectory followed, in which the Red Cross and LINKIT worked closely together.“ From the start, we had short communication lines,” says Steven Saytes, Project Manager at LINKIT. “We had about twelve people in the daily stand-ups. Quite hectic, but it ensured everyone understood the context and urgency of the project.”
Because of this tight collaboration, the team adopted an iterative approach: starting small, with a first focus on the registration form (which had to go live by the end of December). This revealed early the tension between what was needed now (for the Four Days event) and what was needed in the future (for the organization broadly). After meeting that deadline, the focus shifted. “We ideally wanted to build a generic solution upfront that could cover all major events,” notes Lennart Schut, Product Owner from LINKIT. “But the hard deadline of the Four Days forced us into choices: first get things properly working for this one event, then broaden.”
Still, they took the future into account: “Each event has somewhat different ‘needs’,” Jan explains. “Different volunteer roles, different arrangements with organizers, and so on. Building it step by step allowed us to see which parts we would want to adapt later and which we could reuse.”
Results: planning made more enjoyable
Early feedback on the new solution is promising, and a lot has changed behind the scenes. After volunteers register via the new Volunteer Registration app, planners begin their work. Whereas they previously used disparate tools, emails, and, in large events, huge Excel files, the Event Manager app now supports the entire process, from registration to planning, and even from distributing uniforms to assigning sleeping quarters.
“Previously, we manually checked whether volunteers were suitable for certain roles,” says Jan. “Now, that data is automatically linked with our volunteer database. That saves tremendous time and avoids errors.” But even more important is how much more pleasant the work becomes. Lennart recalls: “For me, it became clear when one of the employees saw the new planning functionality for sleeping places. She got a bit emotional and said:
‘I’d hug you if there wasn’t a laptop in between.’ That says everything about what this means for people.”
Because they used low-code, the development team could reuse components and make changes quickly. The interface was also designed in line with other Red Cross apps to ensure familiarity and usability. Jan adds: “My rule of thumb is: if a manual is needed, we haven’t built it well. Here, we succeeded.”
The future: deployment and expansion
The Four Days Marches serve as a significant test for the Event Manager app, marking the start of a broader rollout. As we advance, the application will be further developed. “We want to make this solution suitable for our top ten major events,” says Jan. “That’s why we will soon add configuration capabilities so that the system can be easily adapted for each event.” In this next phase, the Red Cross and LINKIT will continue to work together. “We’ve seen that this way of co-creation works,” says Steven. “We know how each other works and what’s important, and we’re transparent with each other. That makes us stay flexible and lets us build further easily on what’s there now.”
The first results already inspire confidence. With two user-friendly apps and a scalable low-code foundation via OutSystems, the new system replaces the combination of multiple disparate tools and Excel files.
“Processing time for certificate verification and volunteer planning has dropped from 3 to 4 months down to less than 4 weeks: a time saving of over 75%. With a single central system, the team works faster, with fewer errors and more control over large events.”
Jan remarks: “We’re not finished yet, but the foundation is set. And the most important thing: it helps our volunteers to do their work better, and more easily.”
Fast facts Volunteer planning
- The app is planned for use at the top 10 largest events the Red Cross organizes
- There are over 40 different volunteer roles
- At the Nijmegen Four Days Marches, between 700 and 800 volunteers are involved
About Red Cross
The Red Cross operates worldwide, providing aid during disasters, crises, and large-scale events. In the Netherlands and the Caribbean, it coordinates from 141 locations, deploying thousands of volunteers daily. This requires flexibility, speed, and reliability, especially during emergencies or complex events such as the Nijmegen Four Days.
As part of the international Red Cross network, the organization abides by seven humanitarian principles, including neutrality, independence, and humanity. These core values place high demands on process design: transparency, security, and accessibility for everyone, regardless of background or location.
That’s where technology comes in. Digital solutions that are scalable, intuitive, and reliable help the Red Cross scale faster, plan more efficiently, and coordinate volunteer deployment better, not as an end in itself, but as an essential lever for providing aid when every second counts.
