Case Studies
Until recently, the inspectors at test specialist Kiwa Fire Safety and Security were still mainly working with paper reports. Digitization of that process first led to protests, but a more efficient and reliable inspection process was created after Kiwa switched to a digital, asset-based work environment based on the Novulo platform.
“Oh no, it's difficult and takes more time,” says Mathijs van Ballegooijen, division director of Kiwa Fire, Safety & Security + Industrial Inspection, the primary response of his inspectors to the introduction of DFIT. This is the Digital Fire Inspection Tool that was developed based on the Novulo platform. The more than a hundred inspectors were used to taking a truck full of files to the head office in Zaltbommel once every two weeks. In the evening, they returned to their location with the same amount of new paperwork.
“Unbelievable, what resistance there was to the change in that situation. We really had to break through that, even with gentle coercion. Actually, the best moment was when one inspector spoke to another and said: “How crazy that you're not using DFIT yet. Then the work must take you a lot of time. ' After that, adoption actually went faster and faster.”
The Van Ballegooijen division now processes 90% of all inspection reports completely digitally via the DFIT software. This has provided many benefits. The processing time of the reports, which could take up to six weeks, has been significantly reduced. And automatic quality checks are carried out on the reports. Dashboards have been created for each function, such as inspector, sales and back office, which greatly improved process monitoring and progress control.
The organization strives to work more and more efficiently.
The selection of a digital platform was quite a quest, says Van Ballegooijen. “We found autonomy and ownership very important from the start. We had experience with software vendors where, if you had a question, someone would have time for you in three weeks. We didn't want that.”
It quickly became clear that there was no standard package software for the inspection tasks. “We also wanted an outdoor inspection tool in the field and we wanted an asset-based system.” This is because a building that needs to be inspected can easily change owners within a year. “For us, this remains the same object, same location, same installation, just a different customer. However, most systems are customer-based and therefore not suitable for our work.”
Van Ballegooijen also wanted to prevent the organization from becoming dependent on a supplier's service and maintenance. That's why custom software was dropped. “That's how we came across composable software and thus came into contact with Novulo. That could already show good experiences at KLM when it comes to aircraft maintenance.”
For Van Ballegooijen, the wish to maintain full control has been realized. A specific inspection form is now available for each type of inspection, so that fewer errors are made, for example because an inspector misses a checkpoint. “And if someone on site realizes that a control point is missing, it can be added immediately.”
Kiwa is also considering the innovations that are now possible, such as voice-controlled input for inspection reports and automatic recognition of inspection points. “We also see new fields of work such as cybersecurity inspection and remote monitoring for fire safety installations.” This requires new inspection methods so that Kiwa can adapt the reports in DFIT itself.
Kiwa is active worldwide in testing, inspection and certification (TIC), including fire safety and security. In the Netherlands, the company is responsible for inspecting approximately half of the large buildings, such as hospitals, data centers, industrial sites, daycare centers and healthcare institutions. Mathijs van Ballegooijen spoke as Kiwa Fire, Safety & Security + Industrial Inspection division director at Novulo Composable Futures 2025.
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