An innovation factory

An innovation factory – is that a futuristic lab with hundreds of whizzkids in white coats? Not necessarily! ING Factory is a team of three: Thijs, Sonya and Stephan. Even so, give them a couple of days and they can build working prototypes of ideas that would otherwise never have made it off a PowerPoint slide.

How?

Thanks to the small team, bags of confidence, smart friends and – above all – a ‘just do it’ mindset.

Spring into action

There’s no lack of ideas at ING – or among our clients and partners, for that matter. Some of those ideas are brilliant. As for others… let’s say they’re a little less brilliant, and often quite similar to older ideas that have previously been shelved.

“It’s not necessarily a bad thing if an idea is put on the back burner for a while. Sometimes the timing just isn’t right or the tech isn’t mature enough. But if and when the moment finally comes, that’s when we spring into action,” says Thijs, founder of ING Factory.

From idea to working prototype in less than a week

 “As soon as an idea gets the green light, we nominate a ‘hustler’ – the person who will keep the fire burning,” continues Thijs. Sonya, project manager, adds: “We help to bring the idea into focus, get the right people involved – people with the need, as well as the people with the solution. And then we move up a gear. Rather than endless discussions, we put the pedal to the metal.” It starts with a quick scan. What is needed? Which departments should be involved? Which risks have to be addressed?

Tech specialist and designer Stephan is head of research. Under his lead, the developers dive into the technology and even start developing a few things. “We hold two tech sessions to eliminate all the potential obstacles. Once we’ve cleared the way, the real building work can start.”

Makeathon magic

Thijs: “We learn by doing, which is why we always build a prototype. With a pop-up team during a Makeathon, that only takes a couple of days.” Sonya: “A Makeathon brings people from the business and tech together in the same room. There’s no emailing back and forth, and no meetings. It’s all about building, testing, improving.” Stephan adds: “It involves around 10 to 20 people, and we have a helpline if we need outside expertise.”

By the end of the Makeathon, there is a working prototype, a video of the prototype and a business case. These three elements form the ‘product’ that ING Factory delivers to the client. Thijs: “We are financially self-sufficient; we generate enough revenue to pay for ourselves. This way of working gives us freedom and confidence. And ING has faith in us because we’ve repeatedly shown that our approach works.”

The secret? 300 friends

ING Factory would be nowhere without its friends – around 300 people within ING who contribute their skills to drive innovation. They are creators, smart techies. Stephan: “They are developers who have a creative mindset, who say ‘Hey, it’s possible to do this! I already have an idea how, and I’m going to figure it out in more detail’.” The friends also include people from risk, legal and commercial departments. Thijs: “All our friends help us alongside their regular work, because they believe in the idea and want to see it become reality. Their energy is indispensable to us. They are worth their weight in gold – and so too are our external partners who embrace our way of working.”

What has ING Factory done so far?

Take a look at these examples:

• Worked with Albert Heijn on a supermarket where you pay automatically when you leave the store.
• Translated medical information into a style that’s easy for kids to understand (in their native language) with the Prinses Máxima Centrum.
• Facilitated in-app voice calls for ING – without verification questions (which saves 45 seconds per call).
• Built Check Ahead for Heineken: a smart credit check before a customer is accepted.