Department of Justice does things the right way

The information systems of the Justitiële Informatiedienst unit of the Dutch Department of Justice process huge amounts of strictly confidential information. It’s imperative that its systems are ultra-secure and reliable, and the underlying architecture is future-proof. In its quest for a party that could be consulted on new technologies and market developments, the unit selected Xpirit because of its convincing expertise, relevant experience, and pragmatic approach. The choice proved to be right. Xpirit’s approach of advising and coaching while its client does the actual work has shown to be successful: after a thorough analysis, a clearly defined roadmap, and a number of practical workshops, the unit’s own staff is developing and rolling out the first new applications.

Cautious approach

Some three years ago, the Justitiële Informatiedienst unit began a search for new technologies. Mark van der Molen, the unit’s team leader, explains the need for change and describes the search parameters: “Security, continuity and high availability of the unit’s information systems are of crucial importance for us, so it’s of prime importance to keep systems in line with current and future technologies. This is why we wanted to investigate new approaches to application development and the underlying architecture. While we want to keep up-to-date with new technologies at all times, risk factors must be kept to a minimum. This meant that any renovation had to focus on easily manageable, separate components rather than on entire systems. Moreover, any technology we implement has to have a proven track record with other organizations.”

Successful implementation results in faster roll-outs, fewer errors and higher quality

In early 2016, Mark van der Molen attended a conference where Xpirit’s Marcel de Vries held a convincing presentation on new technologies. The presentation was the start of a successful collaboration with Xpirit. Two of Xpirit’s consultants performed a thorough analysis of the unit’s systems, which resulted in a roadmap and an architectural assessment that outlined a vision for technological directions and recommendations for  optimization. The analysis and advice was translated into practical guidance during a value stream workshop, and provided clear insight into the development and delivery process, thus enabling the unit’s DevOps team to deliver releases in rapid succession. The Continuous Delivery approach also meant that the unit could fully reap the benefits of this approach: faster roll-outs, fewer errors and higher quality.

Renovate the shop while the business keeps running

Mark van der Molen describes the benefits: “Because we focused on small-scale components and an automated roll-out process, we could follow a step-by-step approach and implement small releases and thus limit our risk. In short, it meant we could renovate our shop while keeping our business running. And that’s exactly what our customers require and demand of us.”

Nice guys who work with you and let you learn new skills

Mark continuous: “Xpirit’s approach, experience and knowhow have certainly shown their value. Their consultants have an in-depth knowledge of the latest and proven technologies, but at the same time they speak the same language as the customer. They are well-skilled in explaining complex technology in common terms. They’re a team of nice guys who work with you rather than intimidating you. And what makes them so pleasant to work with is their relaxed attitude. They don’t impose themselves and neither do they force a solution down your throat. Instead, they guide you and then enable you to implement their advice yourself. This approach is cost-effective, but it also ensures that you learn new skills and improve your work.”