Your web browser is out of date. Update your browser for more security, speed and the best experience on this site.
Uitgeverij VAN IN
VAN IN is the largest educational publisher in Belgium with more than 188 years of experience in developing educational resources. And with success, they are the market leader. In 2011 they launched Bingel as the first online platform for students and teachers; in 2015 and 2018 they won 2 international Awards with it! Meanwhile, their focus is entirely on digital product development. Projects our Axxes'ers have enjoyed working on for years.
Lenny De La Fontayne briefly explains this evolution, including the collaboration with Axxes.
Hi Lenny, can you briefly explain your role at VAN IN?
I have been with Sanoma Learning for a little over seven years now. I perform two functions: that of Delivery Manager and Release Train Engineer, both within the domain of Learning Technology, and more specifically still for all digital learning resources for Primary Education.
As a Release Train Engineer, I have a supporting and coaching role. It's a specific role in the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe), a framework that helps you develop products faster and better as an organization with a lot of teams and stakeholders together.
You suddenly mention a number of teams. Which ones are they?
We currently have ten Agile teams working on our digital learning tools for Primary Education. The most well-known platform is Bingel. The teams are scattered in Poland, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Can you elaborate on VAN IN and Sanoma Learning?
VAN IN is the largest educational publisher in Belgium with more than 188 years of experience in developing learning resources. And with success, we are the market leader. It's a super nice company to work for. We develop innovative learning solutions for students and teachers that enable the education of today and tomorrow. In 2011, VAN launched IN Bingel as the first online platform for students and teachers, thus triggering the digitization of education. During Corona, we experienced a huge spike in the use of our learning platforms. The biggest peak was as many as seven million exercises in one day in the spring of 2020.
We are part of the European group Sanoma Learning, a division of the Finnish Sanoma. The group has seen tremendous growth in recent years, consisting of several publishing houses and, meanwhile, a number of EdTech companies. The size of Sanoma Learning makes for fantastic cross-fertilization. Whereas we used to be really focused on our market in Belgium, that has changed completely. You now see more and more teams emerging that include colleagues from different countries.
In Primary Education, we excite students with a lot of gamification techniques so that they tend to practice more and longer. And it pays off, because we clearly see in our data that students who practice more often also master the material faster.
What does IT look like at VAN IN?
IT has changed a lot in the meantime. Before, almost every publishing house within Sanoma Learning had its own IT department where digital products were developed. We are now fully committed to digital product development divided into domains such as Primary Education and Secondary Education. One of our spearheads of those domains is our platform Bingel. Specifically, within such a domain we gather everyone who has a role to play in further development. At VAN IN, for example, all Agile teams working on Bingel were included in the Primary Education domain.
In addition to Bingel, I have also heard of Diddit.
True, in 2015 Diddit was launched, the digital learning platform for Secondary Education. Conceived and developed entirely by VAN IN. About 75% of schools in Flanders have a license on Diddit, in other words, the platform is still tasted and used intensively.
What should these platforms be able to do?
Our learning platforms are primarily there to support the teacher and student. For the teacher, this means from lesson preparation and planning, in giving instructions, in practicing and testing, to follow-up and differentiation. In all steps, we offer materials and help through the platform. Students can practice endlessly in the platform, either voluntarily or through tasks prepared by the teacher. In Primary Education, we excite the students with a lot of gamification techniques so that they tend to practice more and longer. And it pays off, because we clearly see in our data that students who practice more often also master the material faster.
How did the partnership with Axxes begin?
At some point we experienced strong growth where we needed additional people and then decided to go out into the market and write to a number of consulting parties. Initiated introductions, started interviewing consultants and that's how the cooperation with Axxes started.
For Diddit, Axxes was involved from the startup. A little later, we also engaged Axxes people for Bingel. By the way, we still have Axxes consultants working on both platforms. A total of 5, most of whom have been with us for at least 3 years.
What technology stack are the 2 platforms in?
Fortunately in more or less the same technology stack. So team members can be deployed on the two platforms as needed. Java on Backend. Front-end is mainly written in Angular. Our platforms all run on AWS. The most common database is MongoDB but we also have a number of relational databases. And our stack further leans very heavily on the paradigm of reactive programming.
First of all, Axxes'ers are real, credible. Things they don't know about are given honestly and transparently. It seems obvious but I still often come across enough embellished resumes that an interview is often a waste of time. You don't have that with Axxes.
May the developers working on it come off with new ideas themselves?
Yes, very much so! Innovation is extremely important. It motivates our developers when they can work on it, and it ensures that our platforms remain relevant. In our organization, we put a lot of emphasis on good cooperation and understanding between Agile teams and product management and business stakeholders. And that includes exchanging ideas, and thinking together about how we can realize new opportunities.
Satisfied with them?
Absolutely. When I open a new job opening, I know the chances are pretty good that Axxes can offer good people. We have been working together for a long time. The Account Manager knows our company, knows me too, who knows what I think is important. In addition to technical knowledge and experience, of course, personality is at least as important to me. Everyone should be able to be themselves, with a positive and constructive mindset and respectful of the other team members.
How would you describe Axxes consultants?
First of all, they are real, credible. When you interview Axxes'ers they are who they are, no excuses are made. Things they don't know are communicated honestly and transparently. It seems obvious, but I often encounter embellished CVs that often make an interview a waste of time. This is not the case with Axxes. I also have the impression that there is a strong focus on job satisfaction, just like with us. That is probably why we often find it a good match.
I had another look at your website and what it says is right. They are quality people, they have the knowledge they need and they are great people. You can feel that feel-good factor, and if you also aspire to that, it clicks immediately.
Photo credits: Uitgeverij VAN IN
Curious about other software development cases?
Check out the reference case of Port Of Antwerp-Bruges here.
