The software connection

“Our team is mainly focused on developing specific customised applications, such as software for tablets and handheld scanners used in the greenhouse, or scales for weighing vegetable seeds during breeding or seed production. We work in two-week sprints and then the end user tests the software. We immediately incorporate the feedback. This enables us to quickly offer added value to various departments within our company and also to Rijk Zwaan’s customers.”

“What I like about working at Rijk Zwaan is that I’m contributing to something tangible. It’s about new vegetable varieties and ultimately about better-quality food. We’re currently gathering both internal and external data on our new Azure data platform. Growers send us sensor data: information from inside their greenhouses about things like temperature, sunlight and how much water they’ve given the plants. It’s our goal to use these data sources to conduct more advanced analysis so that we can further improve the planning and predictability of our seed production.”

“We develop a lot of software ourselves within our company. Rijk Zwaan has a flat hierarchy. I regularly have contact with other departments – from research and breeding all the way through to sales and marketing. We work in line with agile principles: start small and rapidly deliver software that’s immediately used in everyday situations. We then improve the software based on the end-user feedback. We never lose sight of the goal. Customised software is different every time, which keeps the work nice and challenging!”