My presenceTopTaal

From working with Excel lists to the advanced student tracking system My TopTaalThis development has taken place in recent years. The customized system meets the needs of customers and clients. Product Owner José Glas of TopTaal focuses primarily on the steps that will lead to further improvement.

Goal

Although the initial goal in building My TopTaal a more efficient administration, the applications are now numerous. The ready-made tool that TopTaal The system, which was used until 2017, began to show increasing flaws as the company grew rapidly. Therefore, management opted to build its own system, a costly and time-consuming task. José Glas on the creation of Mijn TopTaal"We started by researching the processes and user requirements—municipalities, teachers, and our own back office. Once we had mapped these out, we connected with a partner who could build such a system. We're expanding the functionality monthly in short sprints. That takes time, but it works very efficiently."

We attach great importance to measurability

Milestone

It was a great milestone when municipalities and companies were able to start using My TopTaalThis way, they always have access to the latest information regarding, for example, attendance and results of intake, module tests, and exams. In recent months, we've noticed that municipalities need information about the integration process of their status holders. Are they already enrolled in a course? How is it going? What are the results? These are questions the case managers want to understand. With the online system, they can see in real time how many hours the student has completed, how long they have left to fulfill their integration obligation, and which exam components they have already passed. They are no longer dependent on the status holders themselves for this information.

'MineTopTaal "It also provides client managers with insight into the outstanding loan with DUO in Groningen. While the invoicing process used to be time-consuming and error-prone, it's now automated in the system, immediately showing how much of the budget remains. This is useful for our back office, but it also benefits the municipality," says José. "This allows us to work with both the client manager and the student to determine the best course of action when funds threaten to run out."

Another important functionality is the correspondence tab in the file of every student. This is a kind of logbook that describes what has been discussed with or about the student. Employers, municipalities and teachers see the notes that are important to them in this. '

Privacy is paramount

Flexibility is essential when developing a system for different users, if only because the different departments within TopTaal We have diverse needs and priorities. We also have to deal with the wishes of our teachers and various clients, such as municipalities and companies. Legal changes, such as the revised privacy legislation in 2018, also impact the system. "Privacy is very important to us," says José. "On the one hand, we want to have as much data available online as possible, but on the other hand, privacy is our top priority. We solve this by constantly considering which data we do and do not store."laan and which users are allowed to see which data. The starting point is whether displaying the information is necessary for the purpose for which the user has access to the system. For example, we do not record medical data, and the client cannot see the reason for absence provided by the student.

Developments

What does José expect customers to notice in the near future regarding developments within My TopTaal? 'We are now ensuring that the results of the final exams of modules are made available. By comparing this with the results from the intake at the start, you can clearly see what the result of the taalLessons have been learned. We attach great importance to this measurability. Furthermore, we will ensure that municipalities and companies can register candidates and schedule them themselves for an intake or an independent assessment. taaltest. The student will then automatically receive an invitation and a reminder with the location and time of their appointment. Much is still to change, especially now that municipalities will take charge of integration in 2020. Next year, we will ensure that both our course offerings and the system are prepared for this. This includes, for example, differentiation based on individual goals from the personal Integration and Participation Plan and a different method of invoicing for the courses. Fortunately, the possibilities of My TopTaal endless.'