For Rijk Zwaan, horticulture is synonymous with technology.

"Due to the growing world population, the demand for food and new varieties is also increasing, and with it the amount of data we have to process. The development of varieties is becoming data-driven. As a result, Rijk Zwaan is increasingly becoming a technology company, and a modern platform like Microsoft Azure fits in with this."

"A modern IT structure is really a must these days to meet the high demands of growers, supermarkets, and consumers. Mark continues: "Our growers want the highest possible yield and disease-resistant crops. Supermarkets want longer-lasting products to reduce food waste, and consumer needs are subject to trends. Take snack vegetables, for example; they are now available everywhere. Moreover, our changing climate requires new vegetable varieties that are more resistant to extreme weather conditions. This also places high demands on architecture, data management, and technology."

Rijk Zwaan must innovate to make a difference. Mark explains: "We knew we needed robust IT solutions. We chose HSO because of our already successful collaboration on other projects and their expertise in Azure and Dynamics 365. The implementation of Dynamics 365 was necessary to replace our outdated systems. Subsequently, by working with Databricks and Azure, we have been able to really shape our digital transformation. We now have a system that is not only robust but also flexible enough to accommodate future growth and changes."

"We now work with an integration platform that seamlessly connects all our applications and data," says Mark enthusiastically. "We can now respond much better to the needs of our customers and ensure the quality of our products."

The digital transformation has led to more noticeable improvements. For example, Rijk Zwaan can now develop new varieties faster and more precisely, and improved data analysis provides more insight into cultivation conditions. Mark shares a specific example: "With the help of digital phenotyping, we can now accurately analyse and optimise the characteristics of plants. This used to be a time-consuming manual process. This contributes to bringing new varieties to market faster."

The collaboration with HSO was intensive and effective. "It was not a standard customer-supplier relationship. We really worked together as partners, and we also found it very important to make optimal use of our internal expertise," emphasises Mark. In addition, HSO's ability to deliver customised solutions and adapt to the specific needs of Rijk Zwaan is crucial to the success of this and other projects. "HSO has helped us realise our vision together and were flexible and proactive. Combining our expertise with HSO's specific knowledge of, for example, Azure works very well," reflects Mark.