From reactive to proactive management at the Nederlands Centrum Jeugdgezondheid (NCJ)

The Netherlands Center for Youth Health (NCJ) manages a socially relevant platform used daily by youth healthcare (JGZ) professionals and NCJ researchers. Reliability, security, and the careful handling of privacy-sensitive data are, of course, essential. At the same time, the NCJ highly values a pleasant partnership with its collaborators, where short lines of communication, easy contact, and a structured way of working are important.

When the partnership with their existing management provider no longer aligned with their needs, the NCJ began looking for a party that looks beyond mere technical management and values collaboration. Transparency, ownership, and personal attention were central to that search. Through an extensive RFI and RFP process, Bizure emerged as the partner for the management and further development of the NCJ Platform and data lake.

Challenge & result

1. Lack of speed, quality, and cost insight

In the previous situation, the NCJ was dissatisfied with how the management of the platform and the data lake (data warehouse and data lake) was being handled. Incidents and changes were not addressed consistently, and insight into costs, such as Azure consumption, was lacking. This made it difficult to manage quality and budget effectively.

Bizure immediately restored structure and control by introducing their eXperience Level Agreement (XLA) management. This proactive form of management provides the NCJ with continuous insight into performance, costs, and areas for improvement. Reports are prepared on time, shared prior to the monthly meeting, and discussed in detail together. As a result, surprises are a thing of the past, and the NCJ can steer effectively based on facts. Management has thus shifted from reactive incident management to a predictable approach with clear management information and monthly improvement cycles.

‘’They proactively look for improvements that are beneficial to the NCJ. This has not only led to an optimization of the platform's configuration, but structural costs have also decreased significantly.’’ - Tanja Geerdes-Maas, Advisor and Data Protection Officer at NCJ

2. A platform with high privacy requirements

The NCJ platform processes large amounts of privacy-sensitive data, including information from surveys and polls completed by parents, teachers, and professionals, as well as from applications that support the primary processes of youth healthcare professionals in their daily work. Security and compliance are therefore not just prerequisites, but fundamental requirements for the platform's operation.

One of the first steps in the partnership was bringing all Microsoft components fully up to date, ensuring they fell within support frameworks again and were equipped with security patches. This laid a secure and future-proof foundation for the NCJ Platform.

3. Inconsistency in management and working methods

Upon taking over management, it became clear that previous choices and working methods had not been implemented consistently and, in some cases, no longer aligned with the desired way of working. This led to technical discrepancies and ambiguity in processes.

Following the takeover in the summer of 2025, Bizure restored structure and predictability to the management. The delivery process was organized, and pipelines were improved and further automated. This led to higher quality, fewer manual tasks, and more predictable management. For the NCJ, this means noticeably fewer escalations, more peace of mind within the team, and greater confidence from the board and stakeholders, as progress and risks are demonstrably under control.

Value unlocked:

• ‍XLA score of 6.7/7, with monthly steering and concrete follow-up‍
• Full insight into Azure costs, including demonstrable optimizations with savings of nearly 10% in the first 6 months‍
• All Microsoft components up to date, within supported and secure frameworks‍
• Predictable management through standardized workflows and automated pipelines‍
• Fewer escalations and greater peace of mind, with demonstrable control for management and stakeholders

The approach

From RFI to partnership

The collaboration began with an extensive RFI, in which Bizure clearly set out what was and was not possible, both commercially and technically, including concrete advice. This was developed into an RFP and ultimately a signed agreement. For the NCJ, the personal attention and the feeling of “not being just a number” were decisive in choosing Bizure.

Onboarding and management takeover

Following approval, a careful onboarding process took place. Due to the holiday period and the resulting limited availability of the existing management partner, it was decided in consultation to accelerate the takeover of management. This allowed the NCJ to make faster progress toward the desired situation and gradually move away from the old way of working.

"The start wasn't ideal, but you expressed confidence that you could take over management, provided a rationale for this, and that gave us peace of mind.

You had created a plan in advance, including a cost estimate, and you didn't deviate from it. That also inspired a lot of confidence." - Tanja Geerdes-Maas, Advisor and Data Protection Officer at NCJ

XLA as a management tool

Since the summer of 2025, NCJ has been working with monthly Bizure XLA reports. These focus on six pillars: Security, Cost Management, Quality, Resiliency, Partnership, and No Hassle. During the monthly meetings, the scores are explained and discussed. Scores lower than a five always lead to action from Bizure, with concrete improvement measures and clear follow-up.

"An eXperience Level Agreement isn't standard in the IT world, but it fits perfectly with the type of partnership we were looking for. Communication is accessible, and responses to tickets, calls, and emails are fast. Agreements are kept, and operations are transparent. Feedback is taken seriously and actually acted upon." - Tanja Geerdes-Maas, Advisor and Data Protection Officer at NCJ

Trusted Advisory Service

In addition to operational management, NCJ makes use of the Trusted Advisory Service. With a dedicated advisor available to NCJ for eight hours a week to brainstorm on choices, priorities, and improvements, continuity and trust in the partnership are built. After an initial focus on the security of the Microsoft components used, the emphasis is now on further optimization and rationalization of the platform.

Collaborating based on trust

NCJ experiences the partnership as open and transparent. Reports are shared in advance and carefully reviewed, questions are actively asked, and scores are discussed consciously and with supporting evidence. Even when a component scores lower, it is seen as a starting point for improvement rather than a bottleneck.

The monthly evaluations ensure that NCJ consistently experiences confidence in the progress and commitment of Bizure.

"On paper, we are your client, but in practice, it doesn't feel that way. We feel a sense of equality, and that comes from the way we work together. You act in our best interest, and we see that reflected even when we have a joint meeting with a third party present. Naturally, we make the decisions, but we value your input as a partner." – Tanja Geerdes-Maas, Advisor and Data Protection Officer at NCJ

Schedule an introductory meeting

Curious about what XLA management and the Trusted Advisory Service could mean for your organization? Get in touch with us. We would be happy to think along with you.