The Future Is WOW: Celebrating 25 Years of TenForce

Hot on the heels of our company celebrations came The Future Is WOW, and with it, our chance to mark 25 years of TenForce with our customers.

We gathered at Silo in Leuven’s Vaartkom for a whistle-stop tour of TenForce’s past, present and future. And because no anniversary celebration is complete without a party, we added cake, a DJ set, collector’s-edition customizable TenForce T-shirts and the obligatory goody bags.

First, though, we traveled back to 2001.

That year, Mars Odyssey set off for the Red Planet, Apple introduced the first iPod, and scientists published the first draft of the human genome. The pygmy three-toed sloth also made its official debut. And for us, it was the beginning of TenForce.

But the day wasn’t going to be all about our history. Before revisiting ours, we wanted to know: What was everyone else doing 25 years ago?

Portraits from the past

We asked everyone to chat with the person sitting next to them and draw what they were doing back in 2001.

It turns out that 15 minutes, a sheet of paper, and some crayons are all you need to uncover excellent stories. There was studying, traveling, parenting, and more questionable early-2000s hairstyles than we care to admit.

We walked away with some real masterpieces…whether any will make it onto the office walls remains to be seen.

From four founders to TenForce

With everyone properly acquainted, our CEO, Jan Van den Nieuwenhof, took us back to where TenForce’s story began.

In 2001, four founders set out to create software that could make work 10 times better. Our first product, VCorp, aimed to create a digital representation of an organization and the work happening within it. Today, we’d probably call it a digital twin. Back then, we were simply ahead of the naming committee.

More products followed, along with growing interest from government, utilities and industry. In 2016, everything came together under one name: TenForce. Our focus expanded into manufacturing and took us around the world.

The software has changed considerably since then, but our original ambition, to make work better, has stayed with us.

Building EHSQ while building a business

Next, we welcomed Tom Lammens from Legend Biotech.

After introducing us to multiple myeloma and personalized cell therapies, Tom shared the challenge of building an EHS program while the company grew at remarkable speed.

Legend wasn’t simply looking for new software. It needed a scalable EHS management system that could support new facilities, operations across different countries, and close collaboration with strategic partners.

Tom explained why TenForce’s flexibility, mobile access and ease of use stood out, and why Legend prepared so carefully before launching Incident Management. As he put it, you only get one shot at introducing new software, so it pays to get it right.

A look at what’s next

After a well-timed birthday cake break, it was the turn of our Product Managers.

They showed how we’re making work easier across TenForce, including in Permit to Work, Incident Management, Audits & Inspections, and of course, on mobile.

And there was no chance we could wrap up without looking ahead to AI. From text assistance and record summaries to incident analysis and automated audit reports, the goal isn’t to add AI for the sake of it. It’s to help people understand information and take the right next step, all while keeping them firmly in control.

And then we celebrated

With the serious thinking complete, there was only one thing left to do. Dinner was served, drinks were poured, and our very own Bram Maho took his place behind the DJ decks.

The Future Is WOW gave us a chance to look back at how far TenForce has come and, more importantly, to look forward with the customers helping us shape what comes next.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, shared their experiences and celebrated with us. Here’s to the next 25!