Vlerick Business School
As a top-tier European business school, Vlerick offers a varied curriculum of masters and MBA programs to students and business professionals worldwide.
Choice for innovation
As Vlerick Business School started its search for a new digital platform to drive their business strategy, they began with looking at more traditional all-in-one solutions, like they were used to. However, when we started our partnership with a variety of strategy workshops and conversations with management and stakeholders, it became clear that Vlerick would benefit greatly from a more innovative composable technology architecture.
Vlerick quickly saw the added benefits of such an architecture, more specifically how it offers them more flexibility through hand-selected technologies that suit specific business needs. The result is a future-proof solution that slots in nicely with existing technologies within the organization.
MACH-based composable technology architecture
After analyzing a variety of options, we decided Kontent.ai was the best headless CMS to be at the heart of this composable architecture. We coupled this with Gatsby as the preferred front-end technology.
The powerful search capabilities of Algolia would serve perfectly as the best tool to help website visitors to find the information they require, whether it’s a specific program, insights from research, or interesting resources for alumni.
We have coupled these cloud-based technologies through APIs in a true MACH (Microservices, API-first, Cloud-based, Headless) compliant way.
Search technology
Headless CMS
Front-end technology
Search technology
Algolia
Headless CMS
Kontent.ai
Front-end technology
Gatsby
Translating the Vlerick brand to digital
As the new Vlerick website took shape, we supported the business school with translating its branding to digital, ensuring the Vlerick brand is represented properly through this online channel. Through temporary staffing, a content manager joined the client’s team in-house to support the Vlerick content editors.
A strong partnership depends on the extent to which you have the courage to respectfully question each other's ideas and beliefs, while both keeping your eyes on the goal.
Digital partnership
Our work with Vlerick quickly evolved into a digital partnership based on trust and clear communication. It was crucial to keep an eye on the bigger picture and select the technology solution that helps Vlerick reach its business goals.
‘The strength of a strong partnership depends on the extent to which you have the courage to respectfully question each other's ideas and beliefs, while both keeping your eyes on the goal,’ says Patrick De Greve, General Director of Vlerick Business School. ‘A role that The Reference has fulfilled very well indeed throughout the entire project.’
The services that made this happen
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Architecture
We supported Vlerick in its search for a new digital platform to drive their business strategy. Through a variety of strategy workshops lead by The Reference, we were able to advise Vlerick to opt for a composable technology stack that suits the business school’s specific needs.
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Digital Platforms
We have created a composable technology stack that evolves around the Kontent.ai headless CMS, extended with the search capabilities of Algolia and Gatsby as its front-end technology. The stack is fully MACH compliant.
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Brand & Concept
The Vlerick brand was translated to a digital branding that suits the new website.
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Digital Expert Staffing
Through digital expert staffing – in which a The Reference consultant temporarily joins the Vlerick team in-house - a content manager manages the content in the new headless CMS of Vlerick.
A composable technology architecture for your organization
Feel like a MACH-based composable technology architecture like this one would suit your organization as well? Get in touch, our strategists can help you find the best solution for your business needs.