As part of the Project Management course, I developed a project proposal for Auckland Transport (AT) aiming to modernise the city’s public transport payment methods. The focus was on introducing a virtual version of the AT HOP Card, accessible via smartphones using NFC technology, while preserving all the benefits of the physical card, including concessions and discounts.

The project emerged from a real issue: although Auckland allows contactless credit and debit card payments, these do not include student, community or senior discounts. As a result, many users are still dependent on physical HOP cards, which limits digital inclusion and reduces efficiency.

In the proposal, I created a full Project Charter covering the rationale, strategic objectives, estimated timeline, budget, benchmarking with cities like London and Portland, risk assessment, and communication plan. The key goals included achieving a 60% adoption rate within 12 months, cutting production and maintenance costs of physical cards by 30%, and reducing boarding time by at least 20%.

This project was meaningful to me because it allowed me to apply core project management principles while thinking through innovation, user experience, and financial impact. It also helped me understand how technology can solve practical urban challenges. As someone aiming to become a Product Manager, I found this experience particularly relevant. It reinforced the importance of aligning user needs, business goals, and technical feasibility within a structured, realistic plan.