Our introduction to the wonderful world of trains

DVIS is the national safety authority (NSA) for Belgium’s impressive railway network. Every country within Europe has its own NSA, responsible for their railway safety and security. This involves, among other things, issuing and managing European licenses for Belgian train drivers and providing efficient, reliable data communication. What better way to achieve that than through an app?

They thought of that a long time ago when they created the TrainDriver app. So long ago that it was time for a rebuild, as their old product became outdated, lacked functionality and was increasingly incompatible with modern tech.

In essence, they needed to build a new application as soon as possible. So, like so many others, they turned to low-code! DVIS opted for a low-code solution not only because it promised to get the job done faster, but also because they believed it to be a future-proof way of working. After doing their own due diligence they opted for Mendix technology, which led them straight to us!

We’re very satisfied with this new web application. It’s a great improvement on the previous application, it’s easy to use and is built with the customer in mind.
Marielle Vandendaele - Team Coordinator at NMBS

The value of a shared vision

Backed by the IT department of FOD Mobiliteit en Vervoer, the DVIS team was eager to get started and adopt the Apvine approach - uniting business and IT experts in an agile iterative workflow - as they had experienced issues in the past with IT projects that didn’t quite match their business needs. For this project, we assisted their IT team on the development side of things while DVIS primarily covered the business expertise side of things.

So we set to work, gathering user experience from DVIS on the pain points of their old app and its functionality in order to identify opportunities for improvement. We streamlined the UI and added new features concerning data display and exporting to external devices.

The previous TrainDriver app wasn’t accessible to external railway companies, which was something that needed to change. With the help of DVIS we created a new framework that provides all relevant railway organisations access to the relevant licenses and the information linked with them, creating a centralised platform in the process.

The resulting product was delivered on time, within budget and with a lot of added value. More features will be added over time as needed to ensure exceptional user experience and flexibility. Result: we helped improve the safety, security and data processing of railway services!

A look at the bigger picture

The project served a second purpose for the client - it was an opportunity to test the efficiency and capabilities of low-code development. DVIS and the FOD Mobiliteit en Vervoer are currently in the process of rethinking the digitalising of their products and services, a process which will now be fueled by low-code technology and agile, co-creative workflows.

All in all it was a fruitful collaboration, and we look forward to learning more about the wonderful world of trains while providing digital innovation and a human touch.

We’re very happy with Apvine's involvement. They really grasped the challenges and were a true partner, thinking along with us. We appreciate the personal touch.
Martine Serbruyns - Director of DVIS