From JDS to Plan-IT

Let us take you back to the early years of JDS Bedrijfsautomatisering—the starting point of a journey that would eventually lead to the creation of Plan-IT, a leading workshop planning solution. This is a story of pioneering spirit, technological challenges, and the first steps toward a solution that would completely transform workshop operations.

It all began in 1985, when Julian Hendriks, just 19 years old at the time, decided to set up Junior Data Systems (JDS) together with his father, Piet. At a time when computer use in the Netherlands was still in its infancy, Julian saw opportunities in the rapidly emerging world of IT. While Microsoft had just released version 3.2 of the DOS operating system, technology was still far from mainstream. Yet Julian recognised the potential of computers and software to help businesses work more efficiently. And so, JDS was born—with the ambition to automate business processes and provide software solutions for the local market.

In its early years, JDS focused on automating processes for small and medium-sized businesses. Although technological progress was still limited, the vision was clear: with the right IT solutions, businesses could operate more effectively.
The first major step towards what would become Plan-IT came when a client was struggling with an inefficient analogue planning board in their workshop. This sparked an idea in Julian’s mind: what if workshop planning could be automated? A forward-thinking concept for its time.

In 1996, actual development of the workshop planner began. The software was built using Clipper, a programming language that had been popular in the 1980s for business software. The goal was simple: to create a digital version of the analogue planning board that technicians used to track their work orders. This digital planner allowed workshop staff to view schedules directly on their screens, without having to walk over to a physical board. It may have seemed like a straightforward solution—but it was the beginning of something much bigger.

During his internship at JDS, Rogier was given the opportunity to further develop the project. What began as a basic assignment soon evolved into a much more complex development track. The workshop planner was rewritten in Visual DataFlex (VDF) and transitioned to a Windows-based version. These technical developments brought challenges, but they also laid the groundwork for ongoing innovation—ultimately ensuring the success of what would become Plan-IT.

In 2000, the workshop planner was officially launched under the name Plan-IT. Initially, it was a simple digital replica of the traditional wall-mounted board, but it quickly became clear that it was more than just a replacement. Plan-IT enabled workshop managers and technicians to manage schedules in real time and monitor the progress of work orders. The shift from physical boards to a digital planning tool led to more efficient workshops, where staff could immediately check the schedule—bringing a sense of calm and increased productivity to the workspace.

While the first version of Plan-IT was met with some initial hesitation, it soon gained the trust of its users. What had seemed like a modest solution quickly became an indispensable tool for workshops aiming to improve their efficiency.
The transition to digital workshop planning marked an important chapter in the history of Plan-IT—and in the evolution of how workshops are managed.