Novius and Royal HaskoningDHV Digital: our future

Q&A with David de Graaf

Question 1

Hi David. For those reading that aren’t aware of Novius yet, can you start by telling us a bit about the company and its history?

David: Certainly. Novius is a Netherlands-based management consultancy that bridges the gap between IT and business, and helps clients shape, organise and realise their digital strategy. Our biggest strength lies in the design and realisation of digital business transformation, enterprise architecture, smart customer-centric processes and data-driven working.

Throughout our 28-year history, I’ve always seen Novius as a ‘boutique consultancy’, rather than a 'department store'. We adopt a personal approach, driven by customer demand, that helps us find the right solutions for each client, often as a ‘co-driver’ of change. That’s something that we’ve in common with Royal HaskoningDHV in my view.

Question 2

With that in mind, what do you think makes Novius and Royal HaskoningDHV Digital such a good fit for one another?

David: Working in such similar spaces in the Netherlands for so long, we’ve crossed paths with Royal HaskoningDHV many times. Most recently, we were, for example, both working with the same client at Schiphol Airport, where we discovered just how complementary our skills really are.

Royal HaskoningDHV, via its department Naco, was involved in shaping the physical environment, and Novius developed the integral architecture and design for the rollout of new automated services, processes and underlying information systems in the new pier and terminal. That’s where our worlds came together – where engineering meets digital expertise.

Together, we created a pier and terminal that uses the latest technology and meets the highest quality requirements. Now, as a result of this acquisition, we’re going to be able to keep bringing that same quality to many more customers.

Question 3

The other big question around the partnership is why now? Why is now the right time for Novius and Royal HaskoningDHV Digital to come together?

David: Today’s world is changing faster than ever before. New (digital) technologies, customer demands and major challenges like COVID-19 are constantly emerging and disrupting the way organisations must operate.

By bringing together our vast engineering and digital expertise, Novius and Royal HaskoningDHV Digital will be better positioned to help organisations drive fast, stay in control and run valuable transformations more effective than ever before.

Consultancy around the digital transformation processes demands deep expertise, high commercial strength, and incredible agility. Together, that’s what Novius and Royal HaskoningDHV Digital have. Joining forces under the brand of Royal HaskoningDHV Digital puts us perfectly at the intersection of business, operations, data and IT – exactly where our customers need us to be today.

Question 4

What will this joint offering practically mean for customers of both organisations – and new customers in the future?

David: By bringing our transformation expertise together and sharing ideas across the new team, both sides of the partnership will benefit from fresh perspectives and approaches that will improve customer outcomes.

Together, we’ll be able to dive deeper into the subjects that define effective organisations today – like turning digital technology into value, embedding new capabilities in ways that drive positive user outcomes, and enabling agile, flexible change in rapidly-evolving operating environments.

Our clients will benefit from our combined understanding of how to design and implement successful digital transformations that fit their ambition and vision – helping them bring bigger, bolder, more impactful digital transformations to life.

Question 5

Finally, what’s next for the combined team? What is your vision for the future of Royal HaskoningDHV Digital?

David: Together, our digital transformation consultancy offering is incredibly strong. But looking to the future, it’s important that our newly combined team maintains a laser focus on flexibility and delivering the best possible outcomes for every customer we serve.

We’re well-equipped to help people adopt and embrace game-changing new technologies quickly, but we must stay committed to finding and developing solutions that truly fit each individual organisation we engage with.

With a renewed commitment to customer centricity, and a strong portfolio of services and solutions, we can help customers build and execute balanced strategies that deliver the right results, at the right time, in the right way for them as individuals.

Whatever tomorrow brings, we’ll be there – helping companies navigate complex technical decisions and build the winning transformation strategies that both Novius and Royal HaskoningDHV Digital are known for.

To find out more about Royal HaskoningDHV’s acquisition of Novius, read the full press release here. To find out how you can benefit from the combined consulting, engineering and digital expertise of Novius and Royal HaskoningDHV Digital, visit our website today.