Insights for an agile and scalable trading platform
Short summary
With Service2Potato, Service2Trade builds on earlier steps in digital trading. Thanks to the low-code platform OutSystems (ODC), a flexible and scalable platform was developed. By launching quickly and continuously optimising, trust grew in a traditionally minded market. Agility proved more important than perfection. The platform is now ready to expand into additional product groups and new markets.
Since the launch of Service2Potato, one thing has become clear: real learning only starts once a platform goes live. The market of growers and buyers is traditionally oriented and cautious by nature. Yet the first transactions and collaborations prove that digitalisation is gaining ground here as well.
The key lesson? Start, test, and improve. Where earlier digital initiatives sometimes stalled in endless optimisation cycles, Service2Potato demonstrated that flexibility outweighs perfection. The platform launched on a strong foundation and was immediately refined based on initial user experiences. The ability to adapt quickly has proven essential for adoption and growth, as Bart Leemans, Managing Director of Service2Trade, explains:
“The most important lesson we’ve learned is that you shouldn’t keep perfecting endlessly. Just start and adjust along the way. That’s the only way to discover what truly works.”
The use of the low-code platform OutSystems (ODC) significantly accelerated this process. With low-code, changes can be implemented rapidly without relying on complex and time-consuming development cycles. This not only shortened the time to launch but also enabled the team to respond directly to user feedback and operational needs. As a result, the platform’s agility increased substantially.
At the same time, it became clear that trust in a digital trading platform does not develop automatically. In a sector where personal relationships and physical trading have always been the norm, it takes time and repetition before users fully embrace a digital model. This confirms that digital transformation is not only a technical shift, but also a cultural one.
With these insights in mind, Service2Potato is ready to continue building. The platform is not merely an evolution of what already existed, but a strategic step toward a broader digital ecosystem powered by low-code technology. While the first platform primarily focused on transactions, it is now evident that the real value lies in the underlying low-code architecture.
Thanks to OutSystems (ODC), Service2Fruit can now scale much faster and deliver new functionalities that respond rapidly to market demands.
“The new platform is more flexible and enables us to enter new markets quickly.”
Where we previously facilitated only apples and pears, we can now support multiple product groups. Thanks to low-code technology, we can implement and adapt these expansions rapidly to market needs. The objective is not just to trade potatoes, but to build a scalable platform that can be deployed across other markets as well. By choosing low-code, product groups and functionalities can be added quickly, making the platform exceptionally agile. This enables Service2Trade to enter new markets at speed, while also tailoring the platform to specific requirements across industries.
This strengthens Service2Trade’s positioning as a technology-driven platform that supports multiple markets and sectors.
About Service2Trade:
Service2Trade is the umbrella organisation facilitating digital trading platforms, including Service2Potato, across various sectors. The company aims to create a fair and transparent market by shortening the supply chain and directly connecting buyers and sellers.
A strong example of this approach is its platform for the hard fruit sector: Service2Fruit. Read the full case to discover how Service2Fruit underwent its digital transformation with the help of OutSystems — the first step in building a scalable digital ecosystem.
