Hoe Dit Koningskind met vrijwilligers operationele processen digitaliseert en tegelijk toekomstproof maakt

For an organization like Dit Koningskind, which organizes holidays for people with disabilities, among other things, communicative and administrative precision is of great importance. But if those processes rely on Excel sheets, PDF documents, and overflowing mailboxes, they consume a lot of time and energy that could be better spent elsewhere.

Together with Grexx, Dit Koningskind has taken the first step toward a future-proof solution: a smart digital environment built on the Grexx low-code platform. What started as a Proof of Concept is now growing into a comprehensive portal for both participants and volunteers.

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Dit Koningskind is a Christian association made up of and for people with (mild) mental, physical, or social disabilities and their close relatives. They offer support, encouragement, and a voice to people with disabilities and their loved ones, through individual support, peer contact, and the organization of holidays and meetings. 

From Endless Manual Work to Smart Automation

Our colleague Yannis Haritos has been closely involved with the team at Dit Koningskind in recent months:

"We began with a Proof of Concept, so they could see whether the Grexx Platform met their needs. We set aside around three months for this. In that first phase, the focus was on reducing the administrative burden, especially around communication and coordination. They were doing everything manually."
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"Just imagine: the association organizes around 60 holidays, each involving 10 to 20 people. There are participants, their loved ones, and committed volunteers in all sorts of roles and from different backgrounds. There were endless email chains with briefings, participant information, travel details, etc. All this was handled through separate emails, depending on the role of the volunteer or participant. There’s a smarter way to do that." 
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In the Proof of Concept, we automated this information exchange. Now it’s clear who has received which information and who hasn’t. If someone registers for a holiday, they’re automatically placed at the beginning of the communication flow and any relatives or companions are notified at the time. If someone de-registers, that update is implemented everywhere it needs to be.
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With one click, a relevant email can be sent, tailored to the right stage of the process and the right person. No more manual work or Excel sheets full of color codes. 
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From Excel Forms to Personal Portals

Now that the first release is nearly finished, phase two is beginning: the development of a portal for participants, their loved ones, and volunteers. We’re building a Dit Koningskind environment, where personal data is stored and reused.
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"That portal will really become the heart of their communication," says Yannis. "Think of submitting medication information or a certificate of conduct (VOG): it will only need to be provided once, even if you go on holiday more often. You’ll just update it when necessary. That saves a lot of manual work." 

Holiday registrations will also soon go digital.
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"Previously, this was handled via email. All registrations and personal preferences were processed manually, creating mountains of paperwork. Now we aim to automate that, and even make smart matching possible. That will significantly boost efficiency for the organization." 
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José Roos, holiday coordinator at Dit Koningskind, is pleased with the progress:

"We organize 60 holidays each year, with around 450 participants registering and 350 volunteers involved. That requires a lot of communication and administration, which we've handled mostly through emails, Excel files, and parts of the website. It worked, but from a time perspective, it was nearly impossible." 
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José and her colleagues expect to soon use their time far more effectively:

"From the Proof of Concept, and especially once phase two is completed, we can automate much of the communication, and have a central source where all important data is accessible. It will also be easier for volunteers and participants. We’re already noticing how much clearer the communication flow has become."

"And process continuity is much better monitored: before, we had issues if someone was sick or absent. With all holiday-related communication and administration well organized, everyone can work with it." 
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Made for Practice, Built by Volunteers

What’s remarkable is that this project is largely being carried out by volunteers. Currently, two volunteers are actively helping to build the solution. Chris has an IT background but no low-code experience. Gerard is experienced with the Grexx Platform in his day job. Together with the support of our colleague and Grexx coach Yannis Haritos they’re building the new software for Dit Koningskind. 
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"Chris has already achieved a lot on his own initiative. He studied the tutorials and documentation and, thanks to his IT background, he’s very process-oriented. The switch to low-code came very naturally. That’s also the power of low-code: you can achieve a lot quickly," says Yannis.

That said, the project does require a certain base level of understanding.
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"The application is now fairly complex. Building with low code is not complicated, but understanding this organization and all the different lines that run through it is comprehensive. That’s why it’s great that we’re working with two volunteers who each bring their own expertise."
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"At Grexx, we’re used to supporting and training people through our Grexx Enabled program, so offering guidance is no problem. I’ve also been contributing ideas on a voluntary basis and helping with the application’s development. It’s great to see how quickly we can reduce their administrative load."
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Holiday coordinator José Roos also sees rapid progress:

"It’s impressive how quickly the volunteers’ time investment is producing results. I’m not directly involved in the development, but I do think about what the system should be able to do and how the processes work. I test what’s being developed and provide suggestions for improvements. The team is enthusiastic and making fast progress, it’s wonderful to see!" 
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A Future-Proof Foundation

What began as digitizing administrative communication now opens the door to much more.

"Our first focus is on holiday administration," Yannis explains. "But once that’s in place, it’s easy to expand to other processes: meetings, lectures, donation campaigns, or general communication. Everything is scalable."

And perhaps most importantly: Dit Koningskind won’t be dependent on expensive custom software.

"They get more functionality in one platform, at a lower cost. And they can continue developing it themselves, with their own people."
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The second phase of portal development has a relatively short timeline. New holidays for the next season will be published on the website around October. The goal is for the portal to be used for registering participants and volunteers, and for sharing information about the holidays.
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Are you part of an organization—large or small—that wants to digitize its processes without heavy IT investments or expensive custom solutions?
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Get in touch. Our low-code platform enables you to build smart, scalable solutions at your own pace. 

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