Bouwinvest is an institutional real estate investor undergoing significant development. As a result, there is a growing need for control and insight into IT developments, as well as an increased demand for clear oversight. After an extensive screening process, Bouwinvest chose the service management tool Xurrent last year. Michael de Jong, IT Services Manager, shares his experiences with Xurrent.
Bouwinvest invests capital from institutional investors (pension funds, insurers, and charities) in domestic and international real estate. The number of employees has now grown to over 200, and the Business Technology & Continuous Improvement department supports the entire organization. This includes areas such as information management, streamlining processes, maintaining and developing IT systems, and information security. Additionally, Michael and his colleagues provide support and helpdesk services for everyone within Bouwinvest.
Until last year, Bouwinvest was not a client of OnITnow. How did this business relationship come about? “We were already using a service management solution. However, as the organization grew, so did the need for better collaboration within and between teams. We had been using an outdated version of an application, and we wanted to transition to a fully-fledged Enterprise Service Management solution. We explored the market and engaged OnITnow as an advisory partner.”
Following a careful selection process, Bouwinvest evaluated several service management solutions. Michael explains: “Some solutions didn’t fully align with what we were looking for, but Xurrent hit the sweet spot for us. We wanted to streamline processes across departments and adopt a more agile approach to development, and Xurrent fit these requirements well.”
A COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE
The implementation of Xurrent took place between September 2021 and March 2022. As Bouwinvest continues to develop, Xurrent is being utilized in more ways. “The biggest challenge in the project was achieving a consistent definition and description of processes and services across teams and departments,” says Michael.
“We initially expected Xurrent to come as a preconfigured package. While such a package was available, it also required compromise and customization. That said,
Xurrent is a cleverly designed tool. It offers practical features, such as an internal chat function for troubleshooting within the platform. With basic IT knowledge, it’s relatively easy to guide a task through a process. When a request comes in, you can immediately assign it to someone who can handle it. In terms of look and feel, Xurrent isn’t the sleekest product I’ve seen, but it’s very logical and well-structured.”
The collaboration with OnITnow proved valuable. “Customization can be complex, depending on what you want to achieve. The more customization you add, the less intuitive a system becomes, but Xurrent is well-built. OnITnow has been very cooperative and knowledgeable. They think in terms of solutions and support long-term service management strategies through structures like architectural discussions.”
FLEXIBILITY AND GROWTH
Michael elaborates: “We chose and implemented the right product. OnITnow showed flexibility, but we also had to adapt. Flexibility has its downsides; it wasn’t what we initially sought. At first, we were looking for a rigid, out-of-the-box solution. However, we were ‘forced’ to think deeply about which processes we wanted to implement. This sparked internal discussions but ultimately allowed us to scale and grow as an IT-driven organization. Additionally, this investigative process helped us reflect on our overall organizational structure.”
The end result is impressive. “The Xurrent system supports numerous functions. For instance, in security management, if someone reports phishing or malware, it’s immediately clear where to report it. Another feature we appreciate is IT capacity planning, which helps manage resources across all company functions. We’re also pleased with the custom portals for each department, such as facilities, where employees can book meeting rooms. Xurrent incorporates ITIL and agile principles, and we’re working on integrating these frameworks to create a system that fully supports IT management in terms of capacity, planning, and requirements.”
IMPROVEMENTS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
What’s the most significant improvement or achievement with Xurrent? “We’ve reached the point where working with Xurrent is as seamless as with our previous service management solution. However, Xurrent offers much greater growth potential. Our ambition is to expand and scale further, and OnITnow has been a valuable partner in this process.”
When asked if he would recommend OnITnow to other organizations, Michael responds with a laugh: “No, because I want to use as much of their capacity as possible.” He continues more seriously:“My honest answer is that I would absolutely recommend OnITnow. Xurrent is a vision-driven service management tool that can significantly benefit any growing organization.”