On 1 October 2001, the Dutch authorities introduced a new series of passports and ID cards. Unlike their predecessors, the new travel documents are no longer personalised on the spot. Under the new system, travel documents can only be obtained from one of 750 offices located in the Netherlands and abroad. A far-reaching change that necessitated the rollout of a brand new ICT infrastructure to all organisations involved. This article explains why the Dutch authorities opted in favour of a Big Bang scenario, and describes how the introduction of a new system was prepared and managed. Ineke Ruiter (1951) is a director of Het Management Centrum, which provides temporary management services to the public sector. She has considerable experience with the implementation of complicated projects. She held the position of Project Manager during the introduction of the new Dutch travel documents. In that capacity, she was also responsible for conducting a feasibility study into the application of biometrics in travel documents, and the possibility of using electronic identification (PKI) for the provision of electronic services.