A structure aimed at collaboration

In 2025, we restructured our organisation. The preparations to create business units for our core activities – funeral insurance and funeral services – laid a solid foundation for the coming years that will simplify collaboration across country borders and make it easier to share knowledge. That, in turn, will enable us to keep more effective and efficient pace with market trends and make a success of our strategy.

To achieve our strategic goals, we will require digital support, which is one area in particular where we see opportunities for organising across country borders. We have set up a management organisation to coordinate the creation of a strategic project portfolio, to professionalise and standardise our way of working, and to achieve synergy in our IT landscape. For this purpose, the three country IT organisations have been combined and focused on the business units.

We aim to implement this plan based on three core principles:

Ultimate customer focus – a clear, recognisable experience, accessible, personal, and tailored to customer needs
Simplification – simple, replicable processes
Disciplined execution – clear targets, clear roles, and continuous improvement

Digital Transition of the Insurance Chain

The Dutch long-range programme 'Digital Transition of Insurance' aims to replace the record-keeping systems for our insurance portfolio. The year 2025 was dominated by the migration of most of the DELA LeefdoorPlan policies from the old system to the new environment. This now also enables customers to make their own changes.

In Belgium, we will eventually transition to a new insurance record-keeping system as well. A preliminary study was completed for this purpose in 2025, and the main objectives were determined: to accelerate the launch of new products, make processes more efficient and reliable, and to retain local scope for taking action within the international organisation. Based on the study, it was found preferable for Belgium to use the same technology as in the Netherlands. We expect to increase the synergy and collaboration between the countries and to create room for further growth and development as a result of this transition.

In 2025, we continued our hard work to lay the technical basis for the Nalatenschapzorgplan (estate planning), our new Belgian insurance product that will be introduced in 2026.

DORA

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) entered force in 2025. The aim of this European law is to strengthen the operational resilience of financial institutions. Given our role in providing financial services, this also applies to DELA.

In 2025, we revised the programme for the remaining implementation process regarding governance, joint principles, and improved reporting structures across the countries. Because of the size and complexity of the law, several activities will continue into 2026. The emphasis lies on implementation in daily practice: demonstrating that the actions taken are effective.

Digital Finance

Digital Finance is a group-wide programme aimed at replacing outdated financial accounting software and providing the Belgian and Dutch entities with a modern and future-proof system. Various interfaces for communication with other systems have also been and continue to be updated.

In 2025, the funerals assistance and real estate entities were connected up for Belgium. The plans for 2026 include connecting the insurance business in the Netherlands and the insurance business in Belgium.

Digital DELA customer contact accessible to all

With the requirements of the new European Accessibility Act to hand, DELA in 2025 took a great step forward in making digital products and services accessible to people with an impairment. Digital means of communication such as DELA's web pages and letters available in digital environments have been improved to make them easier to read (or to understand via audio) and navigate.

Data platform

In all countries, we have been focusing more and more on data as it forms the basis for better services and faster decision-making. We strengthen our data approach by centralising data, improving standards and governance, and making data more accessible within the organisation. That enables us to develop new products faster, design smarter processes, and optimise our supply of information.

Other

In Belgium, we also got off to a good start on a sound basic IT and telephony infrastructure. As part of our printing project, we implemented a new, uniform way of working around printed materials for funerals and replaced all the office printers.

A structure aimed at collaboration