The Dutch manufacturing sector is a key driver of the national economy, accounting for approximately 12% of GDP and contributing significantly to the country’s innovation and export capacity. Isah Business Software has supported this sector since 1987 with specialized ERP solutions. To keep its software future-ready, Isah identified the need for additional development capacity. This case describes how, with the support of a development team from NetRom Software, Isah accelerated its cloud transition, improved the user experience, and expanded the functionality of its software suite.
The engineer-to-order manufacturing sector produces complex products that require precise coordination between people, machines, and materials. Isah Business Software, based in Tilburg, provides specialized ERP software to support these processes. With more than 100 employees, Isah supports the entire production lifecycle—from design and procurement to manufacturing, sales, and service management.
ERP software for the manufacturing sector is inherently complex. Robèrt Duyvesteijn, Product Owner at Isah, explained: “Isah’s solution covers the entire process end-to-end—from design, production, and sales to operations, including financial processes.” ERP systems function as the backbone for information exchange across the entire application landscape of customers.
The next generation of software is cloud-based and increasingly focused on the end user. Wim van Lemmen, COO of Isah, noted: “This includes actively supporting end users in performing their tasks—for example, by avoiding unnecessary manual steps such as requiring users to approve orders themselves.”
To support both the cloud transition and ongoing product improvements, Isah required additional development capacity. Van Lemmen added: “Building a fully staffed development team within a short timeframe was not a realistic option in the Netherlands.”
Isah was already familiar with NetRom Software from a previous collaboration in 2015, when NetRom established a development pipeline to support migration to a Microsoft SQL database. Robèrt Duyvesteijn explained: “We had positive prior experience, and it was important to us that they were willing to adapt to and grow within our Scrum-based development approach. Their proximity—both geographically and in terms of time zone—was also an advantage.”
The collaboration began with a three-month proof of concept (PoC). Duyvesteijn noted: “The focus was not primarily on output, but on understanding how well NetRom developers could align with our way of working.” Following a successful PoC, the team was expanded. Currently, sixteen developers and two technical consultants from NetRom work alongside Isah in blended Scrum teams.
Daily collaboration is conducted entirely online, including daily stand-ups, refinement sessions (where backlog items are clarified and prepared for development), and a shared board that tracks all tasks and sprints. The teams meet in person twice a year. NetRom developers work directly within Isah’s systems and quickly became familiar with the technology stack. The team contributes to both the user interface and underlying functionality, with T-shaped developers capable of working across both front-end and back-end development.
‘‘NetRom operates at the higher end of the market: they have highly qualified professionals, which provides confidence and results in a high level of quality.’’
ROBÈRT DUYVESTEIJN, PRODUCT OWNER at ISAH
Robèrt Duyvesteijn stated: “NetRom operates at the higher end of the market: they have highly qualified professionals, which provides confidence and results in a high level of quality.” Wim van Lemmen emphasized that the collaboration also runs smoothly due to the absence of cultural barriers: “In some offshore locations, cultural differences can be a significant obstacle. With NetRom, the time zones are closely aligned, and adjustments can be made easily.”
Isah’s roadmap remains ambitious. Van Lemmen added: “Our current focus is on transitioning to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model and bringing functionality closer to the end user, including improvements across multiple areas. There is still significant development ahead of us.”
Download the full case and see how NetRom helped Isah improve ERP functionality and user experience.
