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Belgium 28-8-25 Country Members Physical english
A special celebration marking 20 years of CIONET—two decades of empowering digital leaders and driving innovation in the technology landscape. This exclusive event will bring together our members to reflect on the incredible journey we've shared and look ahead to the future of digital leadership.Featuring keynote presentations from visionary CIOs, industry pioneers, and founding members, we’ll explore how far we’ve come and what lies ahead in the ever-evolving world of technology. Together, we will honour the contributions of our members who have shaped CIONET’s legacy while offering insights into how the community will continue to lead in the years to come.This is more than a celebration—it’s an opportunity to reconnect, reflect, and recharge with your fellow digital leaders. Don't miss this exclusive experience packed with inspiring talks, networking opportunities, and special recognitions that highlight the best of CIONET’s history and future.Let’s celebrate the past, present, and future of the digital community you helped build.
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Belgium 28-8-25 Country Members Physical english
A special celebration marking 20 years of CIONET—two decades of empowering digital leaders and driving innovation in the technology landscape. This exclusive event will bring together our members to reflect on the incredible journey we've shared and look ahead to the future of digital leadership. Featuring keynote presentations from visionary CIOs, industry pioneers, and founding members, we’ll explore how far we’ve come and what lies ahead in the ever-evolving world of technology. Together, we will honour the contributions of our members who have shaped CIONET’s legacy while offering insights into how the community will continue to lead in the years to come.
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Belgium 2-9-25 All TRIBERS Virtual english
You’ve been asked a simple question: “What does it cost to host this application?” But the answer is anything but simple. The platform sits across multiple data centres. The app spans a few VMs, shares a backup system, uses licensed monitoring, and touches five different teams. Your CMDB should help, but it’s rigid, outdated, or incomplete. And yet, you still need to provide a number, clear, explainable, and grounded in reality.
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August 5, 2025 Squad Session Invitation Only Virtual polish
AI Act – dyrektywa unijna regulująca wiele zasad wykorzystania AI w modelach biznesowych- już obowiązuje na polskim rynki. Ciekawe są prawdziwe i realne przypadki jej stosowania. Spójrzmy na temat od strony regulacyjnej, czyli prawnej. Ale zobaczmy praktykę aktywnej w temacie kancelarii prawnej. Zaprosiliśmy mecenaskę Aleksandrę Maciejewicz z kancelarii Lawmore, która od dłuższego czasu jest niezwykle aktywna i praktykuje w tym temacie. Poznamy podstawę prawną, praktyczne case’y i opis sytuacji oczami prawdziwego praktyka.
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August 6, 2025 Squad Session Invitation Only Virtual polish
Michał Kulesza, adwokat, partner w departamencie technologicznym kancelarii Rymarz Zdort Maruta i szef zespołu regulacji ICT, przeprowadzi nas przez kluczowe wątki rozporządzenia i zmierzy się z pytaniami zgłoszonymi przez uczestników. Omówimy zarówno krytyczne aspekty na początku wdrożeń, jak i dostrajanie zmian na poziomie organizacyjnym i strategicznym. Masz konkretny temat, który warto poruszyć? Zgłoś go w trakcie rejestracji. Zamiast czytać między wierszami DORA – porozmawiajmy o tym wprost.
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August 7, 2025 Squad Session Invitation Only Virtual polish
Duże tempo developmentu i dokonywanych zmian wymaga nowej klasy testowania. Jakość systemów obserwowana na produkcji będzie pochodną skuteczności tego procesu. Duże nadzieje wiążemy z platformami wspierającymi testowanie i opartymi na AI. Sesja ta pokaże, gdzie jesteśmy w poszukiwaniu takich rozwiązań i gdzie ewaluuje myślenie szefów testów i ich rozwiązania organizacyjne.
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Published on: June 25, 2025 @ 9:14 AM
How can CIOs ensure that their critical systems never go dark, even amid failures, updates, or entire cloud region outages? For Haytham Elkhoja, Principal Architect and Principal SRE at Kyndryl, the answer lies well beyond lift-and-shift strategies or generic cloud SLAs. In this CIONET Trailblazer interview, Haytham shares insights from his report “Cloud Adoption for Mission-Critical Workloads – Principles for Always On Applications,” offering a new blueprint for CIOs navigating the high-stakes transition of core systems to the cloud.
Published on: May 28, 2025 @ 9:38 AM
As AI moves from novelty to necessity, consumers expect hyper-personalised, pre-emptive experiences. In this CIONET Trailblazer interview, we sit down with Sean Heshmat, EMEA and APJ Head of Data & AI at Cognizant, to unpack findings from the New Minds, New Markets report on AI-powered consumers, the Agentic Internet, and strategies for embedding AI at the heart of the customer journey.
Published on: May 06, 2025 @ 10:25 AM
Transform individual gains into enterprise wins with generative AI.
Tuesday, May 13, 2025, 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM (Central European Time)
Microsoft Belux, Passport Building Luchthaven,
Brussel Nationaal 1K, 1930 Zaventem
Published on: April 30, 2025 @ 9:04 AM
How can enterprises transform scattered knowledge into strategic intelligence? As data volumes explode and information silos multiply, digital leaders face a growing challenge: making enterprise knowledge accessible, reliable, and actionable. Deloitte’s answer? RAG as a Service is a cutting-edge approach to AI-powered knowledge management built on Retrieval Augmented Generation.
Published on: April 03, 2025 @ 10:17 AM
Retour sur Les Rencontres CIONET du 1er avril – Quand les attentes envers le CIO redessinent les contours du leadership digital
Le 1er avril à Liège, dans l’élégance feutrée de l’Hôtel Selys, CIONET Belgium a lancé en beauté la saison 2025 de son programme Les Rencontres – un cycle d’échanges intimistes, 100 % francophones, qui réunit les leaders du numérique pour discuter, débattre et déconstruire les évidences.
Published on: March 26, 2025 @ 9:59 AM
AI and data have become essential tools for businesses, but how do you ensure they create real, lasting impact? At Telenet Group, data isn’t just about analysis: it’s actively shaping decisions, optimising customer journeys, and enhancing connectivity. Their approach recently earned them a Data Maturity Award, recognising their ability to turn data into tangible business value.
Published on: March 04, 2025 @ 5:07 PM
Renewed collaboration will see Cognizant provide support across IT services with the aim of reducing overall costs and significantly improving the user experience
Published on: February 26, 2025 @ 10:51 AM
Over the past decade, the role of the CIO has evolved from a back-office supporting function to a central position that enables business strategy through technology. Today’s technology leaders must balance modernising legacy systems, scaling AI, and aligning IT investments with ESG goals—all while ensuring operational efficiency and security.
Published on: February 25, 2025 @ 4:14 PM
Disclaimer: This personal view on the position of Red Hat within the AI-landscape is based on the personal experience of a specialist solutions architect in application development and AI.
Published on: February 25, 2025 @ 10:33 AM
In today's digital age, The AI revolution is fundamentally changing how businesses operate while simultaneously the threat landscape is changing. Security strategies, practices, and tactics need to evolve to be more proactive, requiring a risk-informed security model to stay ahead of threats, making it imperative for organisations to adopt robust cybersecurity measures. One such measure is the implementation of an Enterprise Cybersecurity Platform, which plays a pivotal role in the fight against cybersecurity threats. This blog will explore the significance of such platforms and offer insights into the cyber risks companies face, explaining why a platform approach is essential in addressing these challenges.
Published on: January 29, 2025 @ 9:58 AM
As organisations increasingly embrace cloud technologies to drive innovation and agility, misconceptions about cloud security persist. To demystify these challenges, we spoke with Stefaan Van Hoornick, Cloud and DevOps Security Presales Engineer at Trend Micro, to explore the nuances of cloud security and share actionable insights with the Belgian CIO community.
Published on: December 18, 2024 @ 9:07 AM
In this edition of CIONET Trailblazer, we are excited to present an exclusive interview with Bart Windal, Country General Manager of IBM Belgium/Luxembourg. We dive into IBM's approach to ethical and responsible AI, showcasing how the company is leveraging its legacy as a trusted technology partner to set new standards in AI governance.
Published on: November 27, 2024 @ 10:45 AM
Welcome to another edition of CIONET’s Trailblazer, our feature series where we interview digital thought leaders. In this edition, we speak with Tom Olislagers, Chief Technology Officer Western Europe at Dell Technologies. We discuss how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is shaping the way we work, learn, and connect—and what it means for organisations, teams, and individuals.
Published on: November 21, 2024 @ 10:58 AM
In early October, Cognizant and Google Cloud hosted a workshop to lay the groundwork for Data Strategy 2025. The event brought together CIOs, CDOs, and their direct reports from various industries to start drafting their data strategies for 2025.
Published on: October 30, 2024 @ 9:34 AM
In this CIONET Trailblazer article, Stef Schampaert, Country Managing Director of Red Hat Belgium & Luxembourg shares insights into Red Hat's journey, their strategic focus areas, and how they empower organisations to innovate confidently in an ever-changing tech landscape. Key topics include Red Hat’s approach to hybrid cloud, the evolution of OpenShift, and its role in AI-driven development.
Published on: October 29, 2024 @ 11:37 AM
(English below)
Security Xperience : découvrez les nouveautés liées à la sécurité et des témoignages exclusifs
Published on: October 22, 2024 @ 10:04 AM
Until October 31, you were able to compete for the title of The Smartest Cyber Expert 2024. You needed to fill in 20 questions divided into 5 different categories: News & current affairs; Buzzwords and abbreviations; Legislation and policy (including NIS2); Technological developments; (ethical) Hacking and Fraud.
Published on: September 27, 2024 @ 10:41 AM
(English below)
Mainframe Day 2024 : découvrez comment le Mainframe s’offre une nouvelle jeunesse
Published on: September 25, 2024 @ 8:59 AM
In this edition of CIONET Trailblazer, we dive into MindWave’s unique strategy of operating between Belgium and Greece in an exclusive interview with Johan Nagels, CEO & Founder of MindWave. With a mission to solve one of the key challenges facing CIOs—finding IT resources at a reasonable cost—MindWave’s dual presence drives innovation and offers competitive solutions through nearshoring. We explore how this cross-cultural collaboration enhances their growth and how they are capitalising on Greece's emerging tech scene while staying competitive in the evolving global talent landscape.
Published on: September 18, 2024 @ 3:44 PM
(English below)
AI & Data Xperience : l’événement pensé pour l’avenir de votre entreprise
Published on: September 11, 2024 @ 2:57 PM
Etex modernises its IT foundation for a new era of sustainable innovation.
Cognizant and SAP partnered to migrate a business-critical SAP ECC environment to S/4HANA to ready Etex for future transformation and innovation.
Published on: August 28, 2024 @ 10:10 AM
LCL has managed to position itself as a leader in sustainability within the data center industry. We spoke to Laurens van Reijen, Managing Director, and Steve De Craene, Finance Manager, about how they integrated sustainable practices into their operations, the strategic insights that drove their journey, and the key takeaways from their second sustainability report. This episode of CIONET Trailblazer explores how LCL’s approach to environmental responsibility is setting new standards in the industry and offers practical lessons for organisations striving to innovate sustainably.
Published on: July 31, 2024 @ 9:20 AM
In this CIONET Trailblazer episode, together with Laetitia Dierinck, VP Business Excellence Acceleration - SME/LE, we explore the transformative leadership style that has become a cornerstone of Telenet Business's success: Servant Leadership. See how this approach empowers teams, fosters innovation, and creates a resilient organisational culture. Discover what defines this leadership philosophy and how you can integrate these principles to drive growth and engagement within your organisation.
Published on: July 02, 2024 @ 10:51 AM
About the LCL Sustainability Report 2023
This sustainability report is the second of its kind for LCL. Since the first report, they have made significant progress in addressing environmental impact, social impact, and good governance. LCL's dedication to achieving climate neutrality by 2030 remains steadfast, as does their commitment to communicate the progress. With this report, LCL wants to show how they - in the world of data centres - are paying more attention to their impact on the environment and society. The central theme of our Sustainability Report, ‘Together We Thrive’, is a testimony to their belief that collective action and connection are essential. As trailblazers in their field, they want to inspire, invite and motivate all stakeholders - customers, partners, suppliers, employees, and governments - to join them on our journey to sustainability. This report also provides an opportunity for stakeholders to see how their business is evolving and to provide feedback on LCL's sustainability performance.
Published on: June 26, 2024 @ 2:25 PM
Those who want to continue growing, innovating, and competing in the digital age must digitise. Digital transformation processes are crucial for organisations, but executing them successfully proves to be a major challenge: 70% of digital transformations fail. Why? Because one factor is often overlooked: the relationship between people and technology.
This edition of the CIONET Trailblazer Series delves into this challenge with Pascal Laffineur, CEO at Yuma. Pascal shares his insights on a successful digital transformation that people want to work with. This process changes not only the way organisations work but also their identity and culture. Therefore, when digitising, it is crucial not to overlook the human element that underlies every facet of business operations. After all, organisations operate with people to deliver value for other people.
Published on: June 21, 2024 @ 11:23 AM
Lorenzo Bernardi, Head of Security Services de NRB, nous explique comment l’entreprise basée à Herstal s’investit dans la lutte cruciale de la cybersécurité des organisations belges et internationales.
Published on: June 21, 2024 @ 11:17 AM
Lorenzo Bernardi, Head of Security Services at NRB, explains how the Herstal-based Group is committed to the crucial fight for the cybersecurity of Belgian and international organisations.
Published on: June 19, 2024 @ 12:25 PM
Enhance Your Customer Engagement with SAP Emarsys and SAP Commerce Cloud
Published on: May 31, 2024 @ 4:37 PM
Did you know that, on average, companies waste 30% of their cloud spend due to inefficiencies? As more businesses adopt artificial intelligence (AI) and migrate to the cloud, managing cloud spend has become a critical challenge. In this era of optimising operations and minimising costs, organisations are constantly seeking innovative ways to leverage AI advancements like Open AI GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 to revolutionise their business processes. However, it's important to recognise that choosing the right AI model not only impacts performance but also has significant cost implications. This is where the concept of FinOps comes into play.
Published on: May 29, 2024 @ 9:13 AM
In this edition of the CIONET Trailblazer, we sit down with Pierre Marchand, Chief Data Strategist at Cognizant, to discuss the strategic considerations behind AI investments. Pierre provides valuable insights into how organisations can identify AI projects and use cases that offer the greatest value. We explore the importance of aligning business and IT strategies, leveraging data products, and fostering collaboration to enhance AI's impact. With practical advice and proven strategies, Pierre offers a comprehensive guide to achieving successful AI adoption and maximising value creation.
Published on: April 24, 2024 @ 9:31 AM
In an age where data is as valuable as currency, organisations must understand its worth and learn how to navigate its tides. As the Product Marketing & Solutions Marketing Director for EMEA & LATAM at Denodo, Errol Rodericks has seen firsthand the transformative power of data when properly harnessed. Herein lies a chart for navigating the complexities of data-driven transformation, democratisation, ethical considerations, and the significance of data products, from the perspective of a modern-day organisation.
Published on: March 27, 2024 @ 10:49 AM
How to face the challenge of adopting advanced ‘cloud’- technology while maintaining strict security measures? That is the key question this edition of the CIONET Trailblazer Series delves into with Pieter Molen, Technical Director Benelux at Trend Micro. Pieter shares valuable insights on enhancing cloud security architectures and fostering a culture of shared accountability. Aimed at digital and IT leaders navigating the complexities of cloud security, this conversation offers innovative strategies for reducing risks and maximising business opportunities. We also explore the future of cloud computing, where innovation and security intersect to redefine digital transformation.
Published on: March 15, 2024 @ 3:29 PM
As we move deeper into 2024, it is imperative for data management leaders to look in their rear-view mirrors to assess and, if needed, refine their data management strategies. One thing is clear; if data-centric organisations want to succeed in 2024, they will need to prepare for an environment in which data is increasingly distributed.
Published on: March 15, 2024 @ 3:11 PM
Artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and deep learning (DL) have the potential to transform all aspects of business, from customers and employees to development and operations. Building AI/ML into your applications can help you achieve measurable business outcomes. Read this e-book to learn how Red Hat can help you build a production-ready AI/ML environment that accelerates the development and delivery of intelligent applications to support your business goals.
Published on: March 05, 2024 @ 10:49 AM
Ever wonder why everyone's talking about data? It's not just a buzzword — it's the secret sauce for making smarter decisions, understanding your customers, and saving money. When you follow the data instead of gut feelings, you're on the path to better pricing, effective marketing, and products people actually want.
Published on: February 28, 2024 @ 9:11 AM
Deloitte's Tech Trends 2024 offers an outlook on how emerging technologies are pivotal to strategic business transformation. In this CIONET Trailblazer episode, Deloitte unveils the profound impact of innovations like generative AI and digital twins on industry paradigms, highlighting their role in driving competitive advantage and operational excellence. Featuring insights from Tom Van Boxstael, AI & Data Partner at Deloitte, the discussion provides a comprehensive roadmap for businesses aiming to navigate and capitalise on the digital revolution, ensuring readiness for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Published on: February 27, 2024 @ 2:01 PM
The internet we know and love today was initially built in the 1960s as a communication system that would survive a nuclear war. That is why Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) was invented - to specify how computers transfer data from one device to another. However, it was also built with the vision that information should be free and that a network could and should be trusted.
Published on: February 07, 2024 @ 10:27 AM
In well-chosen, sustainable partnerships lie powerful levers. LCL therefore takes on the role of ambassador for Close the Gap (mission: reducing the digital divide worldwide) and Digital For Youth (mission: safe and easy access to a laptop for all children and youth in Belgium). By giving enterprises’ ICT equipment a second life, Close the Gap reduces waste and increases opportunities for those who have less. As a pacesetter, the data centre company shares that impactful story with its stakeholders.
Published on: January 31, 2024 @ 9:31 AM
All companies, no matter their industry, share a common challenge with their IT environment: growing complexity. To anticipate the pitfalls this complexity brings in terms of reliability, security and efficiency of IT operations, new ways of working are being adopted. These modern ways of working such as agile and continuous integration / continuous deployment already used in the world of application development, have trickled over to IT Operations and have proven their merits. ModernOps is gaining widespread adoption among companies, transcending traditional boundaries and proving to be a transformative force.
In this episode of the CIONET Trailblazer, Hendrik Devos, technology Lead at Kyndryl Belux and Marnix Gillis, Distinguished Engineer at Kyndryl talk about how ModernOps transforms IT organisations by fostering a collaborative culture that prioritises adaptability, innovation and continuous learning, ultimately driving sustainable business outcomes.
Published on: January 24, 2024 @ 3:50 PM
Can we talk about translations? We’ve heard many, many clients tell us what a hurdle translations can be. Human translation gets you the best results, but it takes a lot of time and can be expensive. Machine translation seems like a great alternative, but you never know what you’re getting. You’d almost be tempted to start copying your content and pasting it into ChatGPT for better results.
Published on: January 19, 2024 @ 2:50 PM
Canon USA works with a large network of vendors. Its finance department struggled to receive and process as many as 5,000 vendor invoices a month—most of them filled with a complex matrix of information like date ranges, machine serial numbers, meter readings, fuel fees, and other charges. On top of that, many of the invoices were created on paper documents, and much of the processing involved invoices for relatively small dollar amounts—sometimes less than $150.
Published on: December 20, 2023 @ 8:57 AM
In this CIONET Trailblazer episode, "Preventing AI Unleashed: Ethical and Legal Frontiers," we delve into the transformative impact of generative AI. Joining us are Wouter Travers, a Technology Advisory expert at PwC, and Loïc Delanghe, Senior Managing Associate IP/IT/Data law and a Certified Data Protection Expert at PwC Legal. Together, we'll explore the reshaping of industries through AI and the crucial need for aligning technological advancements with ethical and legal benchmarks.
Published on: November 29, 2023 @ 11:45 AM
In this episode of the CIONET Trailblazer, we meet Jelle Schroven, Regional Director Belux at Zscaler. Together, we delve into how Zero Trust, traditionally a security framework, is evolving into a crucial enabler for business transformation. This discussion not only focuses on Zscaler's implementation but also on the broader application and impact of Zero Trust in the industry.
Published on: October 25, 2023 @ 9:21 AM
In this CIONET Trailblazer episode, we're joined by Olivier Lallemand, Chief Operations Officer, Applications at NRB. We'll question whether organisations should employ multiple cloud computing services rather than relying on one. With Olivier's expertise, we'll uncover strategies, real-world applications, and practical insights essential for navigating the challenges of single or multi-cloud environments.
Toyota’s 10-Year Journey for a Faster and More Efficient App Dev Strategy
Toyota Motor Corporation is one of the world's leading automakers. The company adopted OutSystems in 2014 to modernize legacy systems. Starting with small-scale departmental applications, Toyota slowly expanded the use of OutSystems. By 2020, OutSystems has become one of the basic IT tools in the Toyota Group.
At a significant turning point described as a once-in-a-century event, Toyota is moving at full-speed in its transformation from being a car manufacturer to becoming a mobility company.
“In the 10 years since its introduction, OutSystems has become the obvious choice for development projects within the Toyota Group. We feel that the speed and quality of delivery have improved, and user satisfaction has also increased.” - Atsushi InagakiGeneral Manager IT BPR Promotion Div. , Information Systems Group
"I feel that the value people seek in this product we call 'cars' has undergone significant changes," says Toshiyuki Hibi, Chief Officer of the Information Systems Group at Toyota.
"We've transitioned from an era where there was inherent value in owning a car, to an era where cars are perceived as a means to enjoy the value created through the experience of mobility. What people want in a car is also changing."
One of the factors accelerating this change in values is the rapid development of digital technology. This wave of digital transformation (or "DX" for short), which seeks to leverage the latest technologies to change the world for the better, poses an important challenge of how to effectively respond. Toyota recognizes this initiative as one of its crucial business challenges.
“While skillfully leveraging digital solutions as a tool, we're thinking about what kind of transformation we can bring to the automotive industry and to society as a whole through cars. What new value can we create? We're striving to build the infrastructure required for considering and implementing such changes.” - Toshiyuki HibiChief Officer, Information System Group Toyota Motor Corporation
The Toyota Group, with Toyota Motor Corporation at its core, adopted OutSystems to tackle projects that are essential for pursuing digital transformation. Toyota launched its proof-of-concept activities in 2014.
Atsushi Inagaki, General Manager of DX Promotion Division at Toyota Motor Corporation and one of the key figures in the implementation of OutSystems, expressed the following at the time. "I felt that my mission was to establish a framework that allows us to swiftly modernize our legacy systems and enact digital reforms in the surrounding areas."
Inagaki's initial mission was to modernize large-scale legacy systems, including long-standing applications used at Toyota, such as parts catalogs.
"We were seeing warning signs of the decline of the labor force in Japan. In particular, the shortage of IT talent was said to become an increasingly serious issue on a global scale,” Inagaki explained. “In addition to modernizing our legacy systems, we wanted to create an environment that could adapt to changes in the future labor environment using IT solutions. We were looking for the tools that could achieve this."
Toyota evaluated various products to establish such an environment, including what were then referred to as "ultra-high-speed development tools." OutSystems was one of the leading candidates.
Inagaki described: "Toyota's legacy systems use a variety of programming languages, including PL/I and COBOL. The engineers who are adept at these languages will soon reach retirement age. We wanted to create a world where these engineers could easily adapt to new environments at a low learning cost, and where even those with limited knowledge and experience could easily comprehend the framework and create systems. OutSystems, which allows us to build a variety of applications based on a visual environment, was exactly what we needed."
Inagaki also valued OutSystems for its ability to allow for flexible and high-quality post-release system improvements by incorporating user feedback. Inagaki explained that what users want out of a system like this is a product that is "fast, reasonably priced, and efficient." In this context, "fast" means shorter development periods, "reasonably priced" means reduced development costs, and "efficient" means high-quality deliverables.
"In addition to these requirements, as a global company, we also had to consider the scalability of a tool like this when looking to expand the scope to overseas locations. We determined that OutSystems aligns exceedingly well with our criteria." - Atsushi InagakiGeneral Manager IT BPR Promotion Div. , Information Systems Group
Toyota's first full-fledged use case with OutSystems was a relatively small application used in the User Department, called the "Sheet Metal System." Development work with OutSystems achieved approximately a 30% reduction in work hours compared to conventional development methods.
Building on the successful results of this project, Toyota began to accelerate the full-scale deployment of OutSystems. The scope of application was gradually expanded, starting with the migration of a system for managing the production of procured parts.
"Initially, there was some resistance from engineers who complained that they can't work with a tool like this,” Inagaki explained. “Incidentally, around the same time, Toyota was starting to work on activities aimed at improving development productivity and reducing lead times, and OutSystems was introduced as a tool for these efforts. This marked the beginning, as more and more teams started to show interest in OutSystems for their projects. This trend extended beyond the engineering IT domain to include corporate IT.”
Regarding the deployment of OutSystems, Inagaki said, "If your goal is to improve development productivity, then give OutSystems a try. If there's anything you don't understand, the in-house help desk will answer your questions anytime." He also explained that this has not changed significantly since Toyota introduced OutSystems. However, as more projects continued to demonstrate positive results, the amount of interest in OutSystems also grew. This led to the need for a more robust help desk and better training for development personnel.
"For a while after introducing the tool, our main problem was that there were very few engineers who could actually use OutSystems. I remember struggling with educating engineers and figuring out how to create a standard system to increase productivity using OutSystems," Inagaki recalled.
Toyota Motor Corporation, in collaboration with Toyota Systems and partner companies, has made efforts to simultaneously strengthen the help desk framework, accumulate and disseminate case studies and practical know-how, and organize common components used in development. By 2020, the scope of implementation of OutSystems had expanded to cover the entire Toyota Group, and the system that was established is now functioning as a Center of Excellence (CoE).
"As the scope of use expands and scales throughout the entire group, the demand for the use of OutSystems grows not only for direct users, but also for development partners,” said Inagaki. “To meet this demand, we need to build a framework that allows our partners who aren't as familiar with OutSystems to have an accurate understanding of the tool and to create applications that adhere to the group's standards. To achieve this, we've organized a consortium to facilitate close communication among stakeholders, and made efforts to strengthen the capacity of the help desk and the CoE in collaboration with Toyota Systems and partner companies."
The information exchanges and technology sharing for improving development productivity with OutSystems are not limited to employees of Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Systems, and others in the Toyota Group. It also includes partner companies. There is also an ongoing initiative to create educational programs that involve accepting temporary transfers from partner companies to train their employees.
Furthermore, within the Toyota Group, in addition to the traditional waterfall model of development, there has been a gradual shift toward the more compatible Agile approach since the company introduced OutSystems.
To achieve results in an Agile development, it is essential to not only use suitable tools, but also to undergo a shift in mindset among team members regarding team composition and system development. Yuki Matsunaga, Group Manager of the Business Innovation Support department in the DX BPR promotion division of Toyota Motor Corporation, is one of the leaders working on enacting these changes. Matsunaga has been trained in Scrum and is currently serving as a Scrum Master for an Agile development project in the Corporate Department.
“In my experience in system development, I wasn't particularly fond of the waterfall approach, which often felt like a one-sided transaction where the user leaves everything up to the developers. In Agile, there's more of an equal relationship between users and developers. Along the development process, we verify that what we're building is actually valuable to users. I feel strongly that OutSystems is an excellent development foundation for facilitating this kind of framework, and I feel that our efforts to incorporate its use company-wide have been a major turning point for us.” - Yuki MatsunagaGroup Manager Business Management Support Gr. Business Innovation Support Dept. IT BPR Promotion Div. , Information Systems Group
As of October 2023, 23 companies in the Toyota Group have begun using OutSystems, both in Japan and overseas offices. Particularly at Toyota Motor Corporation, it is used in over 70 projects across various business domains. Utilization extends beyond legacy modernization, including front-end development to connect legacy systems with users.
In the span of nearly 10 years since OutSystems was first introduced, a wealth of practical know-how has been accumulated through many projects. At the same time, organizational support structures for systematic utilization through proof-of-concept activities and consortiums have also begun to form. Looking back at these efforts, Inagaki reflects, "I feel that OutSystems has finally become everyone's go-to tool within the organization."
This initiative is planned to be further strengthened in the future. Establishing evaluation indicators for projects adopting OutSystems, as well as strengthening the operational and maintenance structure utilizing the features of OutSystems as a platform, are among the immediate areas of focus.
"There's also been a recent movement to promote a shift toward the cloud wherever possible. We think there's a feasible direction we can take in utilizing the cloud for infrastructure, while leveraging OutSystems as the development and execution environment to avoid lock-in by cloud vendors", explained Inagaki.
OutSystems is becoming one of the essential tools in driving digital transformation within the Toyota Group. Inagaki, who has been leading the efforts since the initial introduction, concluded:
“I would like to see OutSystems approach the issues Japan is currently facing, such as a declining workforce and a shortage of IT talent, from the perspective of improving development productivity. While technologies like generative AI have been gaining attention in recent years, incorporating such technologies into OutSystems could potentially create a world where even beginners with limited programming language skills can implement applications in a short period. With a focus on how the latest technologies can contribute to improving development productivity, I look forward to seeing your continued excellence in product development in the future.” - Atsushi InagakiGeneral Manager IT BPR Promotion Div. , Information Systems Group
Digital Transformation is redefining the future of health care and health delivery. All stakeholders are convinced that these innovations will create value for patients, healthcare practitioners, hospitals, and governments along the patient pathway. The benefits are starting from prevention and awareness to diagnosis, treatment, short- and long-term follow-up, and ultimately survival. But how do you make sure that your working towards an architecturally sound, secure and interoperable health IT ecosystem for your hospital and avoid implementing a hodgepodge of spot solutions? How does your IT department work together with the other stakeholders, such as the doctors and other healthcare practitioners, Life Sciences companies, Tech companies, regulators and your internal governance and administrative bodies?
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The Telenet Business Leadership Circle powered by CIONET, offers a platform where IT executives and thought leaders can meet to inspire each other and share best practices. We want to be a facilitator who helps you optimise the performance of your IT function and your business by embracing the endless opportunities that digital change brings.
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Découvrez la dynamique du leadership numérique aux Rencontres de CIONET, le programme francophone exclusif de CIONET pour les leaders numériques en Belgique, rendu possible grâce au soutien et à l'engagement de nos partenaires de programme : Deloitte, Denodo et Red Hat. Rejoignez trois événements inspirants par an à Liège, Namur et en Brabant Wallon, où des CIOs et des experts numériques francophones de premier plan partagent leurs perspectives et expériences sur des thèmes d'affaires et de IT actuels. Laissez-vous inspirer et apprenez des meilleurs du secteur lors de sessions captivantes conçues spécialement pour soutenir et enrichir votre rôle en tant que CIO pair. Ne manquez pas cette opportunité de faire partie d'un réseau exceptionnel d'innovateurs numériques !
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CIONET is committed to highlighting and celebrating female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, creating a leadership programme that empowers and elevates women within the tech industry. This initiative is dedicated to showcasing the achievements and successes of leading women, fostering an environment where female role models are recognised, and their contributions can ignite progress and inspire the next generation of women in IT. Our mission is to shine the spotlight a little brighter on female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, and to empower each other through this inner network community.
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