For 25 years, the company led a somewhat hidden existence. But with the recent move from the Science Centre Delft to the city center (the Groene Haven in Nieuw Delft), a new phase begins for the software company TerraIndex.
Creative Thinking
The COVID-19 pandemic forced TerraIndex to get creative with office space.
“We already knew that Royal Haskoning had bought the Science Centre Delft building and that we would need to find a new office,” recalls Bruins. “The municipality was very supportive in finding a new location and arranging permits. Eventually, we found a beautiful office here in Nieuw Delft.”
Fieldwork
The company started 25 years ago with the digitization of qualitative soil surveys — a nearly unexplored field at the time. Today, TerraIndex offers a complete solution for soil investigation, from fieldwork to reporting. This includes execution, data digitization, secure data management, and process automation. With 2,500 customers (or “partners,” as Bruins calls them) and over 1,300 daily users of the software, business is going well.
“The data from soil investigations is usually the foundation for construction and infrastructure projects.”
International Expansion
At the same time, the company is expanding abroad. With the Netherlands and Belgium already well served, TerraIndex is now introducing its software and services in France, Spain, and Italy.
“We do this partly with our own staff and partly through local partners — it’s going very well,” says Bruins, who values long-term relationships. “In the Netherlands and Belgium, we don’t have many competitors, partly because many of our very first customers are still with us. We are known as a reliable partner with a deep understanding of the market.”
Webinars and Q&A Sessions
TerraIndex stays connected with its partners through free webinars and customer Q&A sessions. These sessions discuss developments in the field, offer staff training, and provide updates on the software.
“These webinars are very well attended and highly appreciated by our customers.”
Portugal
With the move to Nieuw Delft — and plans for hospitality and flexible workspaces — TerraIndex is entering a new phase. The company currently has about fifteen employees, supported by a flexible workforce. Employee well-being is a top priority.
“Most of our digital work can be done from anywhere,” Bruins explains. “Recently, we took a large group to Portugal for a week. We started work an hour earlier each day so we would still have time for fun activities. It was a very successful week.”
Becoming More Visible
Back in Delft, Bruins already notices that the company is more visible than before.
“Our team has people from many different backgrounds. As we expand into other countries, we’ll undoubtedly continue to grow — although growth is not a goal in itself. But I do like that, now that we’re in the middle of the city, people notice us more. We’ve already received our first open job application, which is really nice.”
Source: delft.nl
