Zooma has been building top-level digital products for 15 years(if we do say so ourselves). Our motto has always been slow and steady wins the race; we don't run blindly after the latest trends but take the time to thoroughly test new technologies and processes and only implement what really works and adds value for our customers. This is how we continuously try to make Zooma stronger, smarter and more innovative.

In this series of 4 blogs, we take you through the different parts of our approach. Why are we sharing this? Certainly not because we claim to have found the perfect method. Although of course we are proud of the results so far. But mainly because we hope for reactions, insights and ideas to improve ourselves even further. So, do you have any suggestions or totally different ideas? Let us know!

Phase 1: 'Ideas and feedback

In this first blog the first phase of our approach; gathering feedback and ideas from our team, our customers and partners, external consultants, auditors and suppliers. Everyone contributes, from the intern to the tech lead to external consultants.

Physical retro board in office

Maybe a little crazy for a digital agency, but we have an old-fashioned physical "Retrospective" board. You can't avoid it - every time you get coffee, you walk past it. This board acts as a central place where anyone can leave ideas and feedback at any time; post-its with suggestions for improvements or new initiatives.

The board is always visible and makes sharing ideas very accessible. Unlike digital tools that we have all tried but often disappear from view, the board invites spontaneous input. This way, valuable ideas don't get stuck in loose Slack conversations, but immediately get a place where everyone sees them.

Mini (sprint) retro's

After each development sprint time for reflection through sprint retrospectives. After each sprint, teams briefly evaluate what went well and where improvements can be made. This helps us not only to make ongoing agile projects more efficient, but also to gather broader insights on how we as a team and organization can work better together.

In 15 to 30 minutes, teams capture sprint insights and areas for improvement are carried over to the next sprint. New ideas that go beyond the project level are added to the physical innovation board and later discussed in the broader 'Zooma Retro' and e.g. picked up in an R&D sprint. This way the insights are not lost.

Strategic consultation

Some areas of improvement and innovation require a broader vision and long-term strategy. That's why we organize strategic consultations three times a year, where management and senior team members come together to determine Zooma's direction.

During these sessions, we look at technological developments, market trends and internal improvement points, and decide, among other things, which themes are given priority for further elaboration in, for example, Fanatical Fridays and R&D Sprints (see the next blog).

ISO 27001 certificate

Information security is an established and essential part of the way we work. Our ISO 27001 certification underlines that, and the associated policy is fully integrated into our organization. At least twice a year, we organize awareness sessions - with ethical hackers, for example - in which we critically reflect on our security, privacy and data management. This is how we stay sharp and ensure that our approach remains current.

Our regular ISO awareness sessions and the internal and external audits not only help us to identify risks in time, but also to continuously improve our processes. This fits perfectly with our broader philosophy: slow and steady wins the race. We consciously choose well-considered, well-implemented improvements over quick, ad hoc solutions. In this way, innovation, reliability and quality always go hand in hand for us.

Next blog: #2 reflection and discussion

For us, collecting ideas and feedback is only the first step in a continuous improvement process. By actively gathering input from the team, customers and external experts, we ensure that innovation is not an afterthought, but an integral part of the way we work. Whether through the physical board, mini-retro, strategic sessions or ISO audits - all of these moments help us keep Zooma future-proof.

In the next blog, we will dive deeper into the phase of reflection and discussion. How do we ensure that collected insights do not remain stuck, but are really discussed, examined and translated into concrete improvement actions? Stay tuned!