First steps in digital scheduling

It was the mid-1990s, and in many automotive workshops, the familiar planning board still hung on the wall.
Using magnets, markers, and laminated cards, workshop schedules were managed. It was a system that worked—to a point—but as businesses grew or changed, its limitations quickly became clear. At that intersection of tradition and progress, the seed was planted for what would eventually become Plan-IT Workshop: a digital translation of something familiar, with the power to completely transform the way workshops operated.

It all began with a simple question from the market. One of JDS’s existing clients was losing valuable time just keeping the schedule up to date. Work orders went missing, technicians wandered back and forth, and any sense of overview disappeared the moment things got busy. The question was straightforward: couldn’t this be done more efficiently? And more importantly—couldn’t it be done digitally?

What followed wasn’t a grand strategic plan, but a pragmatic first step. An experiment.
The first digital workshop planner was built in Clipper, a programming language that was popular at the time with companies looking to automate administrative tasks. The functionality was basic, but the impact was immediate. Suddenly, work orders could be viewed on a screen. No more magnets being shifted around. No more handwritten notes becoming illegible. No more confusion about who was supposed to do what.

What began as a minimal solution was soon taken more seriously once its real-world benefits became visible. Early users quickly saw that something fundamental was changing. The work process became more efficient, yes—but more than that, a sense of calm returned to the workshop. The screen brought clarity, and that clarity created space: in the mind, in the schedule, and in the business. But Clipper had its limitations. The user experience could be improved, maintenance was cumbersome, and the company’s growth ambitions demanded a more stable foundation. So, the decision was made to switch to Visual DataFlex.

For Rogier, then still a student intern working under Luuk’s guidance, this move represented a leap into the deep end. The task was no longer just technical—it was beginning to take shape as a vision.

The migration to a Windows environment marked a turning point. Suddenly, it became possible to work with graphical time blocks—something quite rare at the time. The planning board gained colour, structure, and, most importantly, interactivity. Technicians and planners could move work orders with a single click. Information could be shared in real time between locations. What had once been a support tool now began to resemble a fully-fledged application. When Van Haren Automotive experienced the benefits of shared planning between their sites in Boxmeer and Venray, the true potential became clear.

And then came the name.
Because a good product needs its own identity. Plan-IT was born as a brand name—and with it came the path to professionalism. Not just the software, but the entire organisation started evolving. Jos Hovens joined to bring structure, allowing Julian to focus on users and the market. The team grew—and so did the ambition. New features were developed based on user feedback. Reporting tools, drag & drop functionality, automated updates—each one a result of listening, adapting, and growing.

Plan-IT wasn’t an overnight success. It was a thoughtful response to a familiar problem.
The digital version of the analogue board turned out to be much more than a technical upgrade. It was a fundamental improvement in the way workshops were organised. Users weren’t just getting software—they were getting a new way of working. And that way of working would never be the same again. Because once you’ve experienced the clarity of a well-functioning digital planner, you don’t go back to cards on a wall.

What began as an idea for one client grew into a movement. A new standard.
And in hindsight, that first step into digital planning proved to be much more than an innovation. It was the beginning of a cultural shift in the workshop—one where technology didn’t just support the work, but actively shaped it.

And that was only the beginning of the journey.