The cement that connects the bricks - all our expert companies. And the engine behind knowledge sharing within Conclusion. That's the CAB. ‘With a group of technical experts from all Conclusion companies, we provide connection through this form of cooperation,’ Paul starts enthusiastically. ‘We share knowledge, experiences, inspiration and smart solutions.’ Bastiaan adds: ‘With CTOs, lead architects, knowledge managers and partners from major tech companies, we discuss topics such as architecture standards, tooling and security. And we lay the foundation for cooperation across the borders of our companies.’

Valuable initiatives emerge from the CAB. Such as the guilds: knowledge groups in which employees from different companies come together to explore specific topics, such as AI, Agile working, AWS or Azure landing zones. Bastiaan explains: ‘In these guilds, colleagues share knowledge and learn from each other. It is a unique opportunity for employees to interact with experts and further develop themselves on certain topics.’

In addition, employees are given the opportunity to shadow colleagues from other expert companies, Bastiaan continues: ‘We work a lot with Python, for example, and get a lot of colleagues who want to learn more about it. Conversely, we use Kubernetes less often, but the people who use it don't have to reinvent the wheel. They can learn from the Kubernetes gurus in our ecosystem. Getting the best out of our community through that knowledge sharing, I like that.’

Precisely that opportunity to look beyond your own expertise is what motivates Paul in the CAB. ‘I am triggered by other people, domains and perspectives. That helps me broaden my own view of IT.’ After that inspiration, it is up to Paul and Bastiaan - and the other team members from the CAB - to translate the insights to their own organisations. Bastiaan: ‘We do that through chapters and training sessions in which we take employees through what we have learned. In this way, we ensure that standards and best practices are shared and applied in practice.’

The CAB also plays an indirect role in shaping the strategic roadmaps of the various Conclusion companies. Paul explains: ‘Because all technical managers come together, it creates space to inspire each other and exchange ideas. Ultimately, the expert companies determine their own course, but the CAB provides a basis for that knowledge sharing.’ Bastiaan adds: ‘The CAB gives us space to bring things in and get things going. This allows us to define common goals and move faster on important developments. Plus: as CAB we also look at whether we can get certain tools available centrally in the organisation. That too is a benefit of the collaboration.’ The result? Innovative solutions that don't just stay within one company, but strengthen the entire ecosystem.