Ruud Boot

Innovation in chains: focus decision-making outside the boundaries of the program organization

This past year I had the pleasure of being program manager for an ambitious "bottom up" initiative for exchange and reuse of soil data (chain computerization) of government and network operators. Many parties were involved such as municipalities and provinces but also dozens of (semi)private companies. At the time of writing this post, the program has temporarily stopped: the principals are looking for a way to regain funding and participation. In this blog, I briefly reflect on events and how additional measures can help this program - and other similar programs.

Cost reduction, a fight with Badr Hari?

I got a question the other day about cost-cutting in IT. The question was actually what I thought about that and how I would do it. Before I could even begin to tell a story, I was given a prerequisite: the IT budget must be reduced, so no "flight to the front" with higher IT costs and possible benefits in the business. The latter is about saving with IT rather than saving on IT. This precondition immediately gave me the feeling of having to fight Badr Hari in handcuffs with my arms behind my back. Yet, I do see opportunities.

Top 3 challenges in cooperation and information exchange in chains and networks

Cooperation in chains or networks floats on common ambition and an attractive "beckoning perspective. This is expressed, for example, in the intergovernmental program (IBP). This combines the most important social tasks and focuses on cooperation between public organizations.

IT strategy or digital business strategy: What’s in a name?

At Highberg, I collaborate with my colleagues on topics such as architecture and strategy. The latter primarily focuses on IT strategy. However, the term "IT strategy" has become somewhat outdated, reminiscent of the 1970s, and it sounds overly technical. It's as if it's only about "wires and boxes," a misconception my family still holds about my work. But those in the know understand better; it encompasses much more. The strategy of an organization and IT are now inseparable. Nowadays, it's not just about IT strategy but rather about how it intertwines with the overall goals of the organization—a digital business strategy. Allow me to explain why.

5 tips for a good chain risk analysis

Collaborations between organizations (government, businesses, institutions, etc.) are indispensable in today's society. Governments, such as inspection services, environmental agencies and safety regions, collaborate on activities such as granting permits, supervision and enforcement. Hospitals, general practitioners and pharmacists collaborate to provide healthcare, and in the business world, the supply chain is crucial for the delivery of goods. The dependencies faced by different municipalities during the Log4j vulnerability and the developments in Ukraine that put our digital resilience to the test highlight the interdependence and complexity of the chains we are part of These examples have one thing in common: there is an underlying information system that connects all parties and enables the sharing of information, shipment of goods and provision of services. The old saying "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link" applies here as well: how secure is the information system in the chain, and how do you ensure that all links in the chain are equally strong?