Customer and Innovation: a new phase for RINIS

You've been working in this role for over 100 days now, how does it feel?

'I really feel at home here. I am driven by my new role here, thanks to the external focus I have always had. A new team naturally takes a little time to get used to, but I am already seeing the familiar RINIS enthusiasm at work. I also have two experienced colleagues to help me with assistance and advice. All in all, this new department's work has started smoothly. How else could it be, with such a creative club of people?'

‘Data exchange will never disappear entirely but data sharing is the future’

What is Customer and Innovation's role?

'This new department is a response to the many new developments and innovations in the world of e-Government that public sector organisations are having to deal with. How can we help them utilise these developments and innovations in their operational processes? And how can we serve them even better here? Well, by taking a fresh look at their issues - whilst maintaining the high quality standards that our members and customers expect from us - we want to take their e-Government information logistics to the next level. To do this, we combine multiple disciplines, including account and project management and business and product development.  RINIS's role in this has always been the same: to offer a dependable and secure information logistics service that helps administrators to provide their own services to citizens and organisations.'

What do you mean by 'information logistics'?

'For a long time, everybody has talked of data exchange but information logistics better reflects the range of services that we offer. Data exchange will never disappear entirely but data sharing, or 'data at the source', is the future. This means that at specific points in a process you either receive specific data or make it available, instead of having to search for it amid vast volumes of data. Data sharing also sets more onerous requirements for the availability of data and systems and for the arrangements you make regarding infrastructure and security. And this is precisely what RINIS has always done.'

What does this mean for security?

'Essential aspects of information logistics include enforcing privacy rules and maintaining a strict security regime. Both are embedded in the service we provide and are second nature to us, so to speak, with certification as their cornerstone. However, here too the rapidly changing environment compels us to remain alert and to keep adapting our measures to the changing circumstances.'

‘Our customers will see that RINIS is able to respond to changing needs even quicker and more effectively’

What changes (if any) will RINIS members see?

'Our services will continue to be provided to the same high standard that members expect from us. And our customers will see that RINIS is able to respond to changing needs even quicker and more effectively, including internationally, because Europe has now become a major catalyst for innovation in information logistics'.

What is RINIS's role in a European context?

'We are very active in Europe. For a long time now we have been managing the national hub link to the European TESTA network and - for some members - the infrastructure for EESSI data exchanges within the social security systems.  The Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations has engaged us to work with ICTU to look into additional options for applying the European eDelivery exchange standard. In addition, we are the driving force behind the Digital Europe Hub that will inform Dutch governmental bodies about the application of pan-European accepted standards and building blocks. And last but not least: in 2022 we will start building an OOTS or Once-Only Technical System for the implementation of the Single Digital Gateway. This platform will ensure that citizens and organisations can easily access the e-Government services provided online within the EU.

What made you choose the name 'Customer and Innovation'?

'For us, customers and innovations are inextricably interlinked. Our innovations means we respond to both social needs and IT-related developments. This is what we do for our customers and our new name simply underlines this. We are always improving the quality of our service provision and strengthening the relationship with our members and other customers. In other words, Customer and Innovation stands for a new phase in RINIS's evolution.'