Isah builds ERP software; which the manufacturing industry can’t function without

From cranes on oil rigs to transport packaging for machines, the manufacturing industry is the driving force behind the Dutch economy. Isah Business Software provides this sector with specialized ERP software.

The Dutch manufacturing industry is deeply intertwined with various economic chains, making it a crucial sector for our economy. It accounts for 12% of the GDP. According to TNO, this sector is “above average in innovation and productivity, crucial for solving societal challenges, and the export engine of the Dutch economy.” Statistics from CBS show that the added value of the manufacturing industry has steadily grown, from €3.2 billion in 1995 to €16.1 billion in 2021. It’s also an essential sector indirectly, as it is the place where deep knowledge about high-quality processes and products is developed and expanded.

A significant part of the manufacturing industry is the customer-order-driven segment, where complex products are almost always being worked on. This requires careful consideration of the characteristics, costs, and availability of people, machines, and materials. One of the players in this market is the Dutch company Isah Business Software, which focuses on software support for these customer-order-driven production processes.

Wim van Lemmen, COO of Isah, explains: “Our clients are businesses for whom the final product is fully ‘engineered’ – think of the production of machines or cranes for ships. But we also have clients who work with configure-to-order models, where the final product is assembled from standard components – think of customized vehicle construction. Many of our clients deal with bespoke solutions, sometimes in small series. Isah’s ERP software supports the management of the production process, ensuring that the necessary resources are available at the right time while monitoring costs both beforehand and afterward.”

One of the key characteristics of ERP software is its complexity. Robèrt Duyvesteijn, product owner, provides examples: “Isah’s solution covers the entire process from start to finish: from design, production, sales, to management. Our suite also spans the full breadth, including the financial process from invoicing and cash flow to VAT declarations. Resources in the production process are also registered and forecasted, including inventories, purchase orders, production planning, time tracking, and the service process surrounding completed products. ERP plays a critical role in the management and maintenance of complex machines as well.

Additionally, ERP acts as a backbone for much of the information exchange within our clients’ application landscape. ERP encompasses various types of data and data connections and has many different users with diverse backgrounds, with information accessed through various devices such as desktops, laptops, smartphones, tablets, scanners, and even smart glasses. Increasingly, relevant information is shared with key players in the chain, such as design drawings or safety instruction videos that can be viewed before maintenance tasks.”

The new generation of Isah’s software runs in the cloud and is increasingly user-oriented. The first aspect is mainly a technical process, supporting location-independent work. Modern software also increasingly operates based on processes within chains, allowing chain partners to exchange order data. But the most important development is in functionality. Good usability is essential, says Van Lemmen: “Consider actively supporting the end user in completing tasks, such as not burdening them unnecessarily with manually approving orders or pushing tasks to users as deadlines approach.” For both transitioning the software suite to the cloud and continually improving—and expanding—functionality, Isah needed additional development capacity.

As an independent software vendor (ISV), Isah has its development capacity in-house. But Isah also wanted to accelerate and scale up, says Van Lemmen: “Setting up a full team of developers in the Netherlands in a short time didn’t seem very achievable.”

Therefore, Isah sought external capacity to supplement its own development teams, allowing for easier and faster scaling. What helped in choosing NetRom was the previous collaboration with them in 2015. Duyvesteijn recalls: “Back then, it was a major project involving the transition to Microsoft’s SQL database. This required software adjustments for our end users, and to facilitate that process, we used a development environment that NetRom set up for us.”

Other arguments for choosing NetRom included their willingness to grow with Isah’s development methodology via scrum. Additionally, the geographical proximity and time zone alignment with NetRom were plus points. “In short, the availability of well-trained people and the ability to scale up quickly at NetRom were crucial reasons for choosing them.”

Duyvesteijn explains: “When we re-engaged with NetRom, we started with a Proof of Concept, where three NetRom developers worked for three months. The focus was not so much on output but on evaluating how well the NetRom developers could follow our working method and integrate into our development organization. In this second collaboration, we had a different approach in mind: building together long-term instead of outsourcing a project based on fixed time and scope. We also asked for different competencies – developers who could work on both the user interface and functionality, not just programmers. At Isah, we’ve been working with scrum since 2015, so it’s very familiar to us.”

Van Lemmen and Duyvesteijn believe the NetRom team adapted well. The NetRom team members quickly became proficient in database technology and Isah’s development and testing processes. “Automated testing enhances quality and is a part of our development methodology.”

On NetRom’s side, sixteen developers and two technical consultants work in blended scrum teams. Isah provides an architect who oversees the technology stack, and given the scope of the work, there are three product owners to monitor priorities. Van Lemmen notes: “NetRom’s developers work in our systems, just like Isah’s developers, partly from home. Good collaboration involves a lot of online cooperation. We’ve also invested in English training since that’s the working language.”

Duyvesteijn adds: “We have daily stand-ups, refinement sessions for new components, and we use a shared board for all tasks and sprints. This process runs smoothly. Additionally, we meet in person about twice a year for one or two days, using these meetings to delve deeper and to connect personally. It’s important to involve the teams in Romania in all processes.”

The main added value of NetRom lies in quickly having access to good development capacity, according to Duyvesteijn. “NetRom is at the top of the market in this regard: they have highly qualified people, which provides a lot of peace of mind and leads to high quality.” Van Lemmen adds: “This is also because there are hardly any cultural differences between Isah and NetRom. In some offshore destinations, cultural differences can be a serious obstacle—for example, in communication and commitments. Large time differences can reduce flexibility because adjustments are more difficult. At NetRom, the time zones are close together.”

Isah still has various functional wishes for the future. “For now, everything is focused on transitioning to SaaS and bringing the work closer to the user, including improving configurability for workflows across various suite components, usable by functional administrators. We are far from finished developing,” concludes Van Lemmen.

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