Enterprise innovation teams face a constant tension between speed, cost, and validation. Building custom software often delays market testing by months. Waiting for internal approvals or external development can slow innovation to a crawl.

Rabobank’s innovation team needed to transform a complex Excel-based energy transition model into a live, user-ready application.

The team launched a fully functional web app in just three weeks. They used Convert_’s Concierge Service, enabling faster market validation without traditional development overhead.

Background

Rabobank, founded in the Netherlands and now operating globally, maintains strong roots in cooperative banking and sustainability initiatives.

Within Rabobank’s innovation department, a team led by Michiel Esveld focuses on projects that support companies navigating energy transition investments.

One such initiative targeted organizations seeking to transition their heavy vehicle fleets from diesel to electric.

The market opportunity was significant. Electrification requires significant capital expenditure, and financial institutions play a crucial role in facilitating viable transitions.

Michiel Esveld stated:

This is a massive transition market where a lot of capital expenditure is needed to transition. It’s an important role for a financial institution to enable companies to get this capital expenditure going in a feasible way.

The challenge was not identifying demand. It was validating a practical solution quickly.

The problem validation phase

Through extensive interviews during the Problem Fit stage of their innovation roadmap (below), the team identified a key obstacle for fleet operators:

Calculating the total cost of ownership for electric trucks versus diesel was complex and unclear.

To explore this challenge, the team built a detailed Excel model capable of calculating:

• Transition costs

• Total cost of ownership

• Operational differences

• Long-term financial implications

The Excel model proved valuable internally, but it wasn’t a scalable validation tool.

To test market demand effectively, they needed to move beyond spreadsheets.

Challenge: From Excel Model to Enterprise Application

Rabobank’s team needed to transform their detailed Excel calculation model into a live, user-facing application.

The new tool needed to be:

• Sophisticated enough to handle hundreds of variables

• User-friendly for non-technical business operators

• Fast to deploy

• Flexible for rapid iteration

• Manageable in-house

Traditional custom development presented clear barriers:

• Multi-month development timelines

• High costs

• Limited iteration flexibility

• Complex internal approval processes

For innovation teams operating under time pressure, traditional custom development would have significantly delayed validation.

Michiel’s objective was clear:

Transform the Excel model into a functional web application without the time and cost burden of traditional development.

Solution: Building an Enterprise App With Convert_

A colleague within Rabobank recommended Convert_, having successfully used it for a previous prototype.

Initially, Michiel was skeptical. The existing Excel model was large, highly interconnected, and calculation-heavy. He doubted that Convert_ was powerful enough to handle the complexity.

But, using Convert_, the team successfully launched a live working application within three weeks.

The alternative path, custom software development, was estimated to require at least three months for an initial operational version.

Convert_ enabled:

• Translation of complex Excel logic into a live application

• Real-time calculation outputs

• Structured user input flows

• Email-delivered personalized reports

• In-house iteration without developers

Michiel emphasized the strategic advantage:

You can go live pretty quickly with the low-code back end. So in the end, my team will be able to adjust it themselves, make iterations, make changes, and I think that’s super handy and easy to do, at a very low cost.

How the Application Works

The application consists of several structured components:

1. Scan Phase: Users input business-specific data about fleet composition, usage patterns, and operational requirements.

2. Calculation Engine: The system processes inputs in real time using complex interconnected variables translated from the Excel model.

3. Output Page: Users receive detailed results outlining cost comparisons and electrification feasibility.

4. Educational Layer: Supporting content explains the different electrification pathways and financial considerations.

5. PDF Report Delivery: A personalized report is generated and delivered via email.

Users can experiment with different parameters, helping them understand how transitioning to electric fleets will affect their business.

From the app, users get a great deal of information about what electrification can mean for their business without needing to consult with expensive external experts.

Simultaneously, when users request their personalized report, they become qualified leads.

Results: Accelerating Enterprise Innovation

Innovation teams must validate ideas quickly before allocating large budgets or scaling initiatives.

By launching with Convert_ in three weeks instead of multiple months, Rabobank achieved:

• Faster solution validation

• Earlier stakeholder feedback

• Reduced development risk

• In-house control over iteration cycles

Being able to refine and adjust the application internally was critical. The team could test drop-off points, optimize completion rates, and align the tool with sales follow-up processes.

The application was scheduled to reach a minimum user base for structured validation before wider rollout.

Overcoming Technical Complexity

The Excel model contained hundreds of interdependent variables.

Converting this into a stable and maintainable application required adapting calculation structures and interface logic.

Challenges included:

• Translating complex formulas into a web-based calculation engine

• Managing conditional display logic across multiple views

• Maintaining performance while handling intricate computations

The process strengthened both the project and the platform.

The final application successfully handled complex calculations while delivering a seamless user experience.

Strategic Impact

The Truck Energy Conversion Initiative has now been validated and transitioned to Rabobank’s business teams for broader promotion.

The application positions Rabobank as:

• A strategic partner in energy transition

• A knowledge leader in electrification financing

• An institution capable of delivering practical, data-driven tools

The innovation team plans to extend similar models to other high-energy sectors, including:

• Manufacturing

• Construction

• Warehousing

Electrification is a multi-year transformation. Providing structured, calculation-driven insight positions financial institutions to lead rather than react.

What This Means for Enterprise Innovation Teams

Large organizations often struggle with the gap between concept and validation. Enterprise teams need tools that allow them to:

• Translate Excel models into user-ready applications

• Launch prototypes rapidly

• Iterate internally

• Avoid lengthy development cycles

• Maintain governance and control

Convert_ provided Rabobank with an enterprise-ready no-code environment that supported speed without sacrificing sophistication.

Ready to Accelerate Your Innovation Cycle?

If your team is building complex financial models in Excel and needs to validate them as live applications, Convert_ enables rapid deployment without traditional development delays.

Launch, test, iterate, and validate in weeks, rather than months.

Contact us for more information on creating innovation models with Convert_.