An interview with Jelle van Baggem, Manager Digitall Health

At Zorg van de Zaak, everything revolves around the health of working people in the Netherlands. But to fulfill that mission, everything has to run smoothly behind the scenes - from systems and applications to IT support. Jelle van Baggem, Manager Digitall Health, is at the helm of digital services within the network and explains how AI is going to play an increasing role in it. “Our people work very hard every day to help others. Now it's time for technology to start helping them.”

A unique and dynamic network

“Care of the Cause is an occupational health network,” Jelle begins. “It consists of health and safety services, intervention companies and training and consulting firms that work together for working people. Think doctors, psychologists, mediators, but also support services. Each company has its own processes and systems. It's up to us to manage and integrate that digital infrastructure.”

Jelle's responsibilities include the IT Service Desk, DevOps, application management and data logistics. “The number of employees in the network is constantly moving - companies are being acquired or divested. That means we have to constantly shift gears: onboarding new employees, migrating systems, aligning infrastructures. In a recent partnership, for example, we had to arrange accounts for more than 100 new colleagues, replace laptops, install wifi networks on site and perform data migrations. That requires quite a bit.”

Working smarter: making room for quality

That continuous dynamic creates a heavy workload on the IT Service Desk. “Our colleagues on the Service Desk put their heart and soul into helping employees every day. If someone runs into something, we want them to get back to work as quickly as possible. That's what we do it for. At the same time, I also see how high the work rate is. I would like the team to create more room for structural improvements. That's why now is the time to start working smarter.”

One way they are taking that step is through the use of AI - in the form of a digital colleague: Tod, the AI agent from Conversed.ai. “Tod is going to help employees with IT questions so that they are helped faster and more efficiently. That means the Service Desk will have more time for more complex issues and innovation.” Training Tod takes time and attention, but Jelle is clear about that: “The goal - helping our people faster and better - is absolutely worth it.”

Why Conversed.ai?

The choice for Conversed.ai did not come out of the blue. “A number of labels within the Zorg van de Zaak network - including health and safety services ZekerArbo, Zorg van de Zaak and Aditum Arbo - were already working with you,” says Jelle. “They were so enthusiastic about the collaboration - not just about the technology, but about the entire process: the guidance, the aftercare, the involvement. That gave us confidence.

The future: talking to Tod instead of submitting tickets

What may Tod mean in the long run? Jelle smiles, “In the beginning, of course, we hope that this AI Agent will take care of a large part of the standard questions and requests. That employees will simply be helped more quickly without realizing it - because Tod is giving suggestions to the service desk in the background.”
But it doesn't stop there as far as he is concerned. “I want employees to soon no longer have to go to a separate portal. They just ‘talk’ to Tod wherever they are - in the office, at home, on the road. Say what you need, and Tod will take care of it.

AI in Digitall Health: much more than IT

Tod's introduction to the IT Service Desk is just the beginning. “We have more teams where AI can add a lot of value,” says Jelle. “Our consultants work with standard links that keep coming back. That's work, we can use AI with that. Or our application management team: why create manuals yourself later if you can solve that with AI.”
He continued: “We are only at the beginning. AI surprises me every time. I don't yet know what will be possible in five years - but that it will be a lot is certain. And I'm also sure that, as Care of the Cause, we are going to be smart about it.”

A call to colleagues

Finally, Jelle has a clear and positive appeal to all colleagues within the network: “We are going to work with Tod, and I hope everyone embraces this with an open and curious attitude. Think of it as something interesting: a new colleague that we are going to train and educate together and make a little bit better all the time. Tod will not always be perfect right away - but by working on it together, we will make him a little smarter every day. Help with that development, contribute to it, and together we'll make it something really great.”