SCHLOSSBAHN

Development of a ticketing platform supporting both online and in person sales for a tourism service.

2025

Shopify

3WKonzepte GBR, Marketing Affen

Design, Development, System Setup

Overview

Schlossbahn is a tourism company offering road trips with vintage buses and trains in the Harz region. The project involved redesigning an outdated Shopware-based system and rebuilding the ticketing platform to better support event-based bookings and day-to-day operations.

The existing system was hard to use and not very efficient. Managing events, customers, and tickets required a lot of manual work, which made daily tasks slow and confusing for the team. One important challenge was moving all existing data into the new system. Many customers already had active tickets, so it was essential to keep everything working without interruptions or lost information. Another challenge was supporting different ways of selling tickets. Tickets were sold both online and in physical locations. This required a flexible system that allowed staff to work easily, without giving them full access to the entire system. There was also an issue with ticket validation. Bus drivers only had a list of customer names to check tickets, which was not reliable and made the process prone to errors.

I rebuilt the ticketing system using Shopify and implemented an event-based solution to manage bookings across multiple categories. To ensure existing bookings were preserved, I migrated customers and orders using structured import processes combined with manual validation. I worked closely with the team to support a smooth transition. For in-person sales, I designed a custom workflow instead of using Shopify POS. I set up role-based accounts and conditional payment options, allowing partners such as local shops and tourist centers to sell tickets independently. At the same time, the system kept ticket data and availability synchronized across all sales channels, reducing errors and preventing double bookings.

QR-Based Ticket Validation

To improve reliability during events, I implemented a QR-based ticket scanning system, replacing manual ticket checks with a faster and more accurate process.

Operator Usability

Improved system usability for non-technical staff by simplifying ticket creation and reducing dependency on backend access.

Purchase Experience

Simplified ticket purchasing and registration by streamlining the booking process and delivering tickets directly via email.

Results

The platform has been in continuous use since launch, supporting event operations across multiple categories and handling real customer bookings over time. It has been used to manage recurring events throughout the year, with both online and in-person ticket sales working reliably. The ticket validation system has performed consistently during live events, reducing manual effort and improving operational efficiency. The client continues to use the system for ongoing events, with only minor support needs, indicating a stable and practical solution aligned with real-world usage.

Rapid Growth

New Customer Sign-ups

12 Mo.

Support and Zero Critical Errors

Boosted

Booking Conversions

Synced Sales Channels (Online shop, In-Person and Partners)