AB Midden Nederland

AB Midden Nederland places a large number of temporary workers across many branches. Many of them need not only a placement, but also housing, a bicycle or a car. Since 2023, VionA's automations have handled that administration: from placements in AFAS to the agreements for housing, bicycles and cars.

The automations were running well. Even so, we took a critical look together at how things could be even better. The result: the automations now work through a direct connection with AFAS. That is faster, more stable and cheaper to maintain.

We've been working with AB Midden for a long time, but they got smarter and we got smarter. So together we looked at how it could be even more stable and faster. — Sander Eversdijk, Automation consultant at VionA

The growth journey: from one process to a complete chain

It started with one process and grew step by step into a complete chain for the back office and planning.

• The start: placements. The back office created every placement by hand in AFAS, based on Plan for Flex and the contracts. That became the first VionA automation.
• A logical next step: housing. Housing changes had to be copied into AFAS InSite one by one. Double work, so it was automated.
• The same approach for transport. What worked for housing also worked for cars and bicycles. That is how the vehicle and bicycle agreements were added.
• The next step: from screen to API. At first, the automations worked through the AFAS InSite screen. Together with AB Midden, we rebuilt them on AFAS Connect, the direct connection with AFAS.

Why rebuild something that already works? An API connection talks directly to the system, without going through the screen. That makes the automations more reliable, faster and more stable. It also leaves room for more complex logic. And because less maintenance is needed, the SLA hours could be reduced. So AB Midden's monthly costs go down as well.

Looking at the process together again. The automations had been running for so long that the process knowledge was partly at VionA and partly at AB Midden. For the rebuild, we brought that knowledge back together and set up the data on AB Midden's side so the connection can work with it properly. A nice side effect: AB Midden regained insight into processes that had become somewhat invisible because of the automation.

How the partnership makes this possible

• Short lines of communication: AB Midden has a single point of contact for IT and for approving changes. A process employee receives the notifications from the automations and contacts VionA directly if anything stands out.
• Regular check-ins: we talk regularly about what is going on. The idea for the switch to the API also came out of those conversations.
• Thinking beyond the automation: even when a question isn't directly about the automation, we work out together where the issue lies. For example, in the data the automations use as their basis.
• Continuous fine-tuning: the processes are running. We keep getting better at recognizing special situations and building them in, so even less manual work remains.

Looking ahead

The automations are running, but we keep looking together at what can be improved. That way, we make the processes even more stable and efficient, step by step.

Who is this relevant for?

Do you work at a staffing agency that arranges housing or transport for temporary workers in addition to placements? Then you know the constant flow of changes: bicycles that change hands every week, cars that keep being reassigned and housing that sometimes lasts only a week. That is exactly where automation makes the difference. And have your automations been running for a while? Then AB Midden shows that there is always a next step.