LAVA is building the future of real-time auctioning together with Xplore Group
- Innovatie
- Technologie & Platformen
- Cloud Operations
- Client
- LAVA
- Year
- 2026
- Client
- LAVA
- Year
- 2026
- Category
- Innovatie, Technologie & Platformen, Cloud Operations
A digital auction system for a sector where every second counts
LAVA, the cooperative behind Belgian fruit and vegetable auctions such as REO, BelOrta and Coöperatie Hoogstraten, plays a crucial role in the daily distribution of fresh produce. Every morning, large volumes of fruit and vegetables are sold via real-time auctions to supermarkets, caterers and numerous professional buyers at home and abroad.
To make these complex and time-sensitive processes fit for the future, LAVA called on Xplore Group to develop a completely new real-time auction system. The result is a high-performance digital platform that combines speed, reliability, ease of use and scalability in a crucial environment where milliseconds make the difference.
A real-time auction process
The system supports the entire digital auction process, where buyers can be physically present in one of the auction rooms as well as participate online via their own PC.
Through a combination of live audio streaming and a visual bidding clock, buyers can follow in real time which products are offered and at what price. The clock works according to the traditional falling price system: the price starts high and gradually falls until a buyer prints.
The fastest bidder is automatically brought into audio connection with the seller to coordinate quantities, logistical arrangements and additional details. Then the clock continues until the entire stock is sold.
In addition, the platform provides users with permanent insight into:
- All active auction clocks
- Real-time pricing information
- purchases from colleagues within the same organization
- Status updates and available volumes
The combination of real-time communication, high availability and an intuitive user experience ensures that buyers can act quickly and efficiently in a particularly dynamic market environment.
A collaboration between six competence centers
The realisation of the new platform brought together the expertise of six competence centres within Xplore Group. Each team made an essential contribution to the end result.
Unlockd
Cross-platform frontend development
Unlockd developed the frontend of the platform with Flutter, both for browser use and for a Windows desktop application. The focus was on performance, real-time interaction and a consistent user experience across different platforms. By combining live bidding information, audio streaming and fast user interactions, the interface had to be not only intuitive, but also extremely responsive and reliable under high loads.
Cloudway
Scalable AWS backend
Cloudway was responsible for the development of the backend platform on AWS. The backend handles real-time bidding, synchronizes users and auction data, manages audio communication and ensures stable operation during peak times. Thanks to a cloud-native architecture, LAVA now has a scalable and future-oriented platform that combines high availability and performance.
Refleqt
Quality assurance & testing
Given the crucial nature of the platform, quality assurance played a central role throughout the entire process. Refleqt supported the project with extensive quality assurance and testing, including functional testing, performance validations and quality checks on the real-time interactions within the system.
GLUO
DevOps & continuous delivery
GLUO took care of the DevOps approach and supported the team with automated deployments, CI/CD processes and infrastructure management. This approach allowed releases to be rolled out quickly, in a controlled and reliable manner, with maximum focus on stability and continuity.
Fabrikate
UX & design
Fabrikate was responsible for the UX and design development of the platform. In an environment where speed and overview are crucial, user-friendliness was an absolute priority. The interfaces were designed to give buyers insight into prices, auctions and purchases at a glance, without sacrificing speed or ease of use.
nFuse
Hosting & managed services
nFuse supported the project with hosting and managed services to ensure the continuity, monitoring and operational support of the platform. This provides LAVA with a stable and professionally managed environment that provides 24/7 support for a business-critical application.
Technology as an engine for a traditional sector
With this new real-time auction system, LAVA is taking an important step in the further digitisation of the Belgian fruit and vegetable sector.
By combining traditional auction processes with modern cloud technology, real-time communication and a user-friendly digital experience, LAVA now has a future-oriented platform that is ready for further growth and innovation.
For Xplore Group, this project is a strong example of how different competence centers can work together to solve complex digital challenges – from strategy and UX to development, cloud, testing, DevOps and managed services.
Together, we built a high-performance ecosystem in which technology and operational efficiency come together perfectly.
