eXp Realty

Implementing an application is only half of the journey. In today’s fast-moving digital landscape, you need your app to perform flawlessly, deliver consistently smooth user experiences, and scale seamlessly as business demands and user expectations increase. And this is especially true for Mendix applications, which often become integral to core operations.

As low code applications mature, they inevitably expand in scope and complexity and, over time, they might slow down, or encounter recurring bottlenecks, that impact scalability, maintainability, and user satisfaction across core business functions. This is where continuous optimization becomes vital to sustaining performance and ensuring they remain reliable drivers of digital operations. 

A client of ours faced exactly these challenges when during critical business periods, system slowdowns and instability started impacting promotions, imports, and daily operations. Searches returned delays, large data imports overloaded servers, and certain queues and interfaces were draining system resources.

Fortunately, CLEVR was able to step in with expertise and structured diagnostics to restore stability and build confidence. As a trusted partner, our team ensured operations continued smoothly, downtime costs were minimized, and the user experience remained protected during periods of peak demand.

CLEVR’s Diagnostic Approach to Mendix Performance

In industries where reliability and speed are directly tied to revenue and customer satisfaction, a performance-first mindset is essential from day one. Recognizing this, our support team started immediately, initiating a Performance Diagnostics Scan to uncover underlying structural bottlenecks that could potentially cause the application to experience instability across critical operations.

Unlike routine monitoring or basic incident response, the Performance Diagnostics Scan provides a targeted, in-depth evaluation and is specifically designed to rapidly identify the top long-running actions, predict capacity needs, and provide clear recommendations for future optimization. This makes it particularly valuable during periods of high demand, as demonstrated in this specific retailer’s case.

“Designed with CLEVR’s deep expertise in low code support, the Performance Diagnostics Scan makes it fast and efficient to identify bottlenecks and enhance application performance,” says Richard Pluim, Team Lead Support at CLEVR. “This allows us to directly intervene at the most critical pain points that impact stability and growth.”

By leveraging log analysis, Mendix Cloud alert monitoring, performance tooling, and user behavior review, including manual tests in both development and acceptance environments, we were able to successfully replicate the issues and pinpoint their root causes.

Key Performance Bottlenecks Identified

Our diagnostics revealed several areas where the application was being stressed, particularly in search, data handling, and queue management. Rapid application growth combined with inadequate input handling and insufficient safeguards for heavy data processing made the system vulnerable to instability during periods of growth and peak demand.

More specifically, the team identified the following problems:

• Free Search functionality: attempted to fetch millions of articles due to unfiltered input (e.g., empty values or duplicate separators), causing unnecessary load and slowed down results.
• Large data imports: as increasing demand pushed more and more imports through the system, the lack of batching or limits created database overload and disk spikes above 75%, which resulted in timeouts.
• Low-performing queues: under heavy load, certain queues were draining system performance, primarily due to resource constraints and lack of optimization.
• Interfaces importing article data: certain services, like Article data imports, struggled with exceptionally large volumes, as they lacked mechanisms to process and validate input efficiently.

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Targeted Optimization Solutions

Implementing the solutions required both precision and care. Even though troubleshooting was not without its challenges, some issues were intermittent and difficult to reproduce, with years of experience handling Mendix applications and an in-depth understanding of the client’s environment, our support team acted quickly and effectively to restore stability.

Restoring performance without disrupting the client’s live production environment was a top priority and as such, quick wins like urgent restarts were applied immediately to resolve critical issues, while fixes that required careful testing and scheduling around peak business periods were implemented later to ensure a holistic and lasting solution.

Overall, the solutions our team implemented were the following:

• Optimized search queries by filtering out empty values before execution.
• Introduced thresholds and batching for large imports, supported by monitoring dashboards to track duration.
• Applied server restarts and queue tuning to stabilize urgent issues.
• Suggested future-proofing strategies to handle high data loads more efficiently.

Measurable Results and Business Impact

The implementation process was carried out in close collaboration with the client’s internal team. Open communication, regular check-ins, and alignment on priorities ensured the solutions were delivered smoothly, and with minimal disruption to ongoing operations.

This collaborative approach allowed both teams to work towards a shared goal of restoring stability and enhancing user confidence by delivering on key measurable results:

• Search performance became fast and stable, even for long EAN lists.
• System stability improved with far fewer timeouts and Mendix Cloud alerts.
• End users experienced smoother workflows, especially during promotions and imports.

“Performance improved dramatically. From being one of the slowest applications in the chain, it became one of the fastest, causing performance gaps in other applications to become visible, continues Richard. “This is how strategic performance optimization can drive efficiency across the entire application landscape.”

Future Stability with CLEVR Mendix Support

After implementation, our team made sure to embed a proactive monitoring approach so that any potential issues could be tracked and addressed before they impact operations. Thanks to this, performance has remained stable with no recurrence of the issues previously identified, even during high-load periods.

This case highlights the importance of having a tailored Mendix support partner that can deliver immediate, measurable improvements without lengthy projects or downtime. By combining diagnostics, communication, and fast fixes, CLEVR enabled this leading retailer to stabilize their business-critical applications and build long-term resilience.

With over 190 satisfied customers and a 96% first-time-right score, CLEVR’s support services provide industry-specific expertise and advanced technology that empower companies across sectors to scale with confidence and remain future-ready.

Whatever your challenge, CLEVR’s Expert Support Services team is here to help you maintain operational excellence.

Contact us for a free Performance Diagnostics Scan.

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ANWB Retail is part of the Royal Dutch Touring Club (ANWB), a trusted household name in the Netherlands known for its wide range of mobility, travel, and roadside assistance services. With over 5 million members, more than 70 retail stores across the country, and over 80 million annual visits to anwb.nl, ANWB plays a vital role in the daily lives of Dutch consumers.

As a leading retail organization within this ecosystem, ANWB Retail manages a dynamic calendar of promotional campaigns across multiple channels. While the existing processes had served the business well for years, the growing complexity of campaign planning and the need for faster, more integrated collaboration prompted a search for a smarter, more scalable solution. ANWB turned to CLEVR to help transition from a fragmented, spreadsheet-heavy workflow to a fully digital, user-friendly platform that could support real-time coordination and future growth.

By using Mendix combined with our deep experience in the retail sector, CLEVR co-created a solution tailored to ANWB's unique promotional workflows, aimed to set them apart in an increasingly competitive market.

The Challenge: Manual Processes, Disconnected Tools

Even though 30%-35% of daily tasks could be automated by 2030, many consumer businesses are still constrained by disconnected spreadsheets and manual workflows. This often leads to delays, communication breakdowns and missed commercial opportunities, which was exactly the case at ANWB Retail.

"Information was everywhere," says Koen Berends, Project Manager at ANWB Retail. "The whole process was managed in separate excel files, and there was a lot of email communication sent back and forth, making it difficult to track progress and maintain version control."

In addition, consistent approvals were hard to ensure, as many decisions were made in meetings or informal conversations, without a central view of responsibilities, deadlines, or outcomes.

All of this, not only created unnecessary manual work but also significantly delayed the launch of new campaigns. To address these inefficiencies, ANWB needed a centralized platform that could simplify approvals, improve transparency, and enable cross-functional teams to collaborate more effectively in real time.

The CLEVR Solution: Tailored. Scalable. Connected.

To avoid embedding this complexity into a new ERP system, ANWB decided to decouple promotion planning entirely and worked closely with CLEVR to map out a tailored solution that aligned with their specific needs.

“At CLEVR, our process starts with a deep-dive assessment alongside the customer and one of our industry experts,” says Angelo van Dasselaar, Team Lead NL Services at CLEVR. “That’s where our real strength lies, combining sector-specific knowledge with cutting-edge technology and a collaborative approach to turn ideas into scalable, real-world solutions.”

Together we built a custom Promotions Manager, that brings together all key stakeholders into one connected platform — from marketing and buying to merchandise planning and studio teams.

The new Promotions Manager solution was designed to support every step of the retail campaign process, including:

• Marketing calendar planning for annual promotional campaigns
• Real-time collaboration between marketing, buying, and planning teams
• Budget alignment checks by merchandise planners
• Approval workflows with locked steps per role (category, planning, marketing)
• Centralized image management and auto-generated briefings for the design studio

The result? A process that's not only faster, but also far more transparent and collaborative, ensuring everyone is working on the latest version to eliminate double work and unnecessary costs.

“What sets this solution apart is that it's built on CLEVR’s Promotions Manager template; a robust foundation shaped by our team’s extensive industry knowledge and experience serving multiple retailers,” adds Angelo.

This template provides a ready-made starting point that can be tailored to meet any specific business requirement, no matter how unique. By leveraging Mendix low code technology, the solution is not only highly customizable, but also fast and easy to implement, significantly accelerating time to market.

“You can tell it’s really made to support this specific process — tailored to retail promotions," continues Koen. "If you go for a more general campaign manager, you don’t get this level of end-to-end support. Everything you need as a retailer is in there. We couldn’t find that anywhere else.”

The Results: A Streamlined Promotions Engine

By combining low code technology with CLEVR’s deep expertise in the retail sector, ANWB Retail was able to unlock measurable improvements across their operations.

• Higher Efficiency: Lead time to launch a promotion was reduced by 20%, enabling the business to respond faster to market needs.
• Improved Focus: With fewer people required to manage operational tasks, teams can now dedicate more time to planning, budgeting, campaign design, and creative decisions.
• Better  Collaboration: Clear role-based approval flows replaced fragmented emails and meetings, ensuring a smoother, more transparent process.
• Controlled Processes: Approval steps are locked by role, so no one can alter promotions once approved. This ensures everyone works on the latest version, eliminating double work, confusion, and unnecessary costs.
• Centralized  Information: All relevant data, assets, and tasks are now housed in a single platform, boosting accountability and visibility.
• Fewer Errors: Automation reduces repetitive manual work and minimizes the risk of inconsistencies.

With greater transparency, structured approvals and centralized data, ANWB Retail has laid the groundwork for a more scalable and controlled future, empowering their Promotions Manager to not only optimize planning and coordination, but to also drive business impact with greater agility and confidence. 

Partnering for Retail Impact and Operational Excellence

From the very start, CLEVR took on the role of more than just an implementation partner. By combining technical expertise with a deep understanding of ANWB’s operational challenges, CLEVR offered structured guidance and best practice insights tailored to the retail industry, challenging existing processes when needed to reduce complexity.

"It was one of the smoothest implementations we've done recently," adds Koen. "CLEVR supported us not just technically, but with a real understanding of the commercial side of things, helping us make smart process decisions, rather than simply customizing for the sake of it."

Thanks to the "first-time-right" nature of low code technology, CLEVR together with ANWB were able to significantly accelerate the development process, meaning fewer bugs, less rework, and faster testing cycles. This allowed ANWB to stay within deadlines and budget, without compromising quality.

Next Steps: Future-Ready Retail Management

This optimization was part of a broader transformation effort within ANWB Retail, aimed at modernizing core retail operations. With promotions now digitized and streamlined, the company has laid the groundwork for future digital growth.

At CLEVR, we don’t just deliver software, we partner for transformation. As ANWB’s needs evolve, our team remains a trusted guide, helping to scale and adapt solutions that truly serve the business.

The future of retail is agile, data-driven, and customer-first.

Let’s build it—together with CLEVR.

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As the demand for sustainable energy storage grows, building efficient, safe and flexible battery production lines is crucial for Europe’s green transition. Nordic Batteries, partnered with CLEVR, Siemens and Kongsberg Innovation to design and implement a digital-first pilot line, and strengthen Norway's role as a leading hub in the global battery value chain.

The result? 

Together, they built a robust PLM backbone that significantly reduces costs and accelerates time-to-market, advancing the green shift and setting a benchmark for sustainable, high-tech manufacturing in Europe.

A Digital-First Battery Pilot Line, Built for Impact

Nordic Batteries is adynamic scale-up with the mission to revolutionize sustainable battery manufacturing. With a strong focus on energy security, environmental responsibility and digital innovation, the company is committed to driving efficiency, enhancing product quality and future-proofing operations within the evolving battery value chain.

As a key industrial partner within Kongsberg Innovation’s BatNet Project, Nordic Batteries plays a central role in its mission to build a full-scale infrastructure for smart, automated battery production and recycling.

“Energy security and sustainability are critical to our vision,” said Jarle Gjøsæther, CEO of Nordic Batteries. “Our goal is to build a complete, ethically sourced and environmentally responsible battery value chain in Norway and across Europe— one that supports the green shift and reduces our reliance on external supply chains.”

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However, battery production is inherently complex, requiring precise coordination between design, simulation, manufacturing and quality assurance. Yet, much of this coordination still relies on manual processes. 

Spreadsheets, disconnected tools and physical prototypes are widely used to validate designs, while production operators lack valuable real-time insights. This often results in slowed innovation and inefficiencies, making it difficult to scale effectively.

Nordic Batteries needed a smarter, faster and more integrated way of working—one that could streamline their processes, support certification efforts and ensure energy-efficient, automated manufacturing.

CLEVR’s Solution: Engineering Operational Excellence

Nordic Batteries had a clear vision from the beginning, but they needed a roadmap to get there. CLEVR stepped in not just as a technical vendor, but as a strategic partner to translate this vision into a tailored system architecture, ensuring the software wasn’t just technically sound, but seamlessly usable in daily operations.

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This solution included:

1. Siemens NX for advanced CAD design, stress analysis and digital validation of complex product geometries

2. Siemens Simcenter STAR-CCM+ for simulating battery behavior, thermal dynamics and safety under real-world charging and discharging

3. Siemens Tecnomatix Plant Simulation (PlantSim) for creating a detailed digital twin of the entire pilot line, enabling bottleneck detection and process optimizatio nbefore physical production begins

4. Siemens Teamcenter as the central PLM backbone — ensuring secure data management, change control and collaboration across design and production teams

“We adapted on the fly," said Eskil Christensen, Advanced PLM Engineer at CLEVR. "When something didn’t work or a requirement shifted, we responded quickly, enabling continuous optimization based on real-world feedback and evolving needs.”

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Nordic Batteries together with CLEVR managed to successfully create a pilot line that is semi-automated, sensor-rich, and digitally traceable from end to end. With an integrated central control interface, operators can now manage the entire line with greater visibility and efficiency, delivering immediate value:

1. Early detection of inspection bottlenecks and quality deviations

2. Iterative process design based on real-world constraints and operator feedback

3. Improved operator planning, resource allocation and collaboration across teams

4. Faster troubleshooting and reduced time-to-market for battery modules

5. Enhanced productivity and minimized downtime by optimizing workflows and eliminating inefficiencies

6. Cost savings by reducing physical prototypes and development cycles, resulting in greater ROI

By leveraging Siemens’ Xcelerator portfolio and CLEVR’s deep implementation expertise, Nordic Batteries bult not only a high-performing production environment, but a strategic foundation for the company's future growth.

“Our ambition is to build a gigascale factory — a ‘plus factory’ that produces more energy than it consumes," continued Jarle. "And CLEVR together with Siemens delivered the cutting-edge solutions needed to make this possible."

A Benchmark for Smart, Sustainable Manufacturing

With CLEVR and Siemens at their side, Nordic Batteries demonstrates how Europe’s next generation of battery producers can embrace a digital-first approach, ensuring efficiency, safety and sustainability from day one.

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“CLEVR’s team didn’t just install software," says Manis Mosa, Control Engineer at Nordic Batteries. "They trained our people, helped us prioritize features within budget, and stayed hands-on when challenges arose. This gave us confidence from simulation to production.”

CLEVR delivered agility and hands-on support, paired with strategic guidance and deep domain expertise. This empowered Nordic Batteries to move quickly, make informed decisions and build technology tailored for everyday use.

These are exactly the qualities manufacturers across industries need to accelerate innovation, scale sustainably and remain competitive in a fast-changing industrial landscape.

The next steps in Nordic Batteries journey include:

• Expanding automation and robotics for full-scale production
• Deepening data analytics and real-time quality assurance
• Scaling the digital twin framework to additional production lines

And CLEVR will remain a trusted partner, ready to support every step of the way. 

Together, we are not only building advanced production systems, but also shaping a more resilient and sustainable manufacturing future.

Let’s Build Tomorrow — Together with CLEVR.