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Combining Human Innovation with Intelligent Automation

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The profile picture of Lotte Harrijvan, automation project lead at RoboRana Group in the Netherlands/Holland.
Lotte Harrijvan
Today, we’re putting the spotlight on Lotte Harrijvan, one of our awesome young project leaders who specializes in low-code application development. Lotte’s love for economics and mathematics led her to the exciting field of econometrics, while her love for her Belgian boyfriend led her to Antwerp. Lotte has been helping us tackle challenges faced by organizations in both Belgium and the Netherlands, and recently decided to bring her passion for programming and change management to our Dutch branch. Let’s get to know her a bit better!

Hi Lotte! What made you choose to join the RoboRana family as your first job?

Well, I wanted to blend my love for coding with an interest in business development. RoboRana Group stood out because they're all about intelligent automation and low-code development. It's a thriving ecosystem with a bunch of passionate experts, so I knew I was at the right place.  

I started at RoboRana Group itself, and quickly moved to Roboest, the Microsoft Power Platform experts in our ecosystem. Over the past three years, I've transitioned from a low-code developer into a project lead in the Dutch branch, where I handle project planning, execution, and team guidance. Knowing the ins and outs of low-code applications from my developer days is definitely a big plus in this role!


Interesting! So, why the attraction to low-code development?

If there’s one thing I love about low-code, it’s the fast-paced development. I can whip up a functional front-end in just two weeks, which lets me get feedback from clients quick. It's an agile approach that has helped me deliver solutions that hit the mark with what clients expect.  

Of course, there are some limitations. While low code makes building applications fast, certain functions sometimes need a bit of custom coding, which can make things a bit tricky for clients down the line. For me, the endgame of low code is to empower our clients to manage and expand their intelligent solutions on their own. Finding the sweet spot between functionality and what clients want can be tricky, but I've gotten the hang of it over the years.


How does this complement your interest in business development?

Becoming an autonomous enterprise and embracing new tech like low code isn't always a walk in the park for established organizations. At RoboRana Group, we get that, and that's where change management comes in. A large part of my tasks involves guiding our clients through this shift.  

What I love about my job is that change management is not just a theoretical concept. Every day, I get hands-on practice for making sure that clients smoothly adopt the solutions that our automation experts cook up. Our center of excellence is at the heart of the support phase of the automation journey, together with digital coaching and managing services. By offering a wide range of support services, we can focus on long-term partnerships and let our intelligent solutions make a difference in the long run.


Low code has exploded in popularity recently. What do you think the next big thing will be?

I can certainly see artificial intelligence becoming an even bigger player in the RoboRana playbook, adding some extra oomph to the technical side of our solutions.  

Right now, our philosophy is based on three aspects of automation: data, processes, and applications. We blend different technologies, platforms, and capabilities to whip up holistic and innovative solutions. The insights that we gather from business and data analysis, value discovery, and process mining services lay the groundwork for our application development, using process modeling and solution design.

While intelligent automation is currently our bread and butter for these processes, I reckon AI will kick things up a notch when it comes to sophistication. For example, Microsoft Copilot is a game-changer that will shake up how applications are built. I also think that AI will step up in tasks like document classification and data extraction, something that we often help our clients develop intelligent solutions for. Interesting times ahead, that’s for sure!


You’ve been part of the RoboRana family in both Belgium and the Netherlands. What makes it tick?

We're not just sitting around waiting for things to happen. We actively scout opportunities for clients, organizing workshops to dive into their world, understand what bugs them, and look for synergies between different apps and technologies. This proactive approach ensures that our solutions are tailor-made for each client, based on the latest developments. It's about helping them become autonomous enterprises, using automated processes and operations to stay nimble in the face of changes in the market.


What have you set your sights on for the future?

I recently moved back to the Netherlands, and I'm excited to help reshape our game plan in the Dutch market. While intelligent automation is still front and center, I’ve picked up on a buzz for low-code applications, especially those using Microsoft Power Platform.  

My goal is to build a diverse team that can handle a wide range of technologies and get projects done. With my background and position, I'm all about bridging the gap between the Dutch and Belgian branches, creating an environment where we all work together. With the right crew, the right plan, and a commitment to solutions that our clients love, we'll be steering the ship towards the future of automation in no time.

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