The Van Roey Group carries out a wide variety of projects throughout Flanders: from new construction to restoration and from structural work to turnkey projects. In the past, an IT team of about ten people was responsible for developing the group’s own software to manage its numerous projects.
Paul Franken, IT Manager: “We organize our business processes into two streams. The main stream encompasses opportunity identification, costing, execution, and related reporting. You could call these the core processes of our company. In the administrative stream, we distinguish the supporting processes such as resource planning, procurement, human resources, and finance.”
Implementing a new business application is no easy task: users have to adapt to change and often want to put their own spin on things. Gbuild has the advantage that it can be customized to meet our specific needs.
Paul Franken, IT Manager
Toward a Single Integrated Software Platform
Over the years, Groep Van Roey acquired several companies, which left the group saddled with various, unintegrated software systems. In 2008, the decision was made to streamline operations and transition to a single, uniform business platform. A wide range of software vendors was evaluated, resulting in a shortlist of two vendors: KPD and GMI Group, now part of Alistar.
Paul Franken explains the decision to choose Alistar and their construction solution, Gbuild: “Alistar has an in-house construction solution that could meet a significant portion of our needs right out of the box.” The collaboration between Groep Van Roey’s experienced IT team and Alistar’s experts resulted in the implementation of a single integrated system that tracks nearly all processes—from sales follow-up to project execution, invoicing, and high-quality reporting.
Presenting Variations as a Commercial Advantage
At the start of the sales process, every opportunity is recorded in Gbuild. The Van Roey Group has always been able to count on a major advantage during the sales phase: the ability to present different options in a proposal. “By proactively presenting different options, we show that we’re truly thinking along with the customer,” explains Paul Franken.
With the help of Gbuild, a cost estimate is prepared for every new project. The bill of quantities provided by the architect can, if necessary, be imported directly into the construction software. Paul Franken: “It is essential to make an accurate calculation of the estimated cost of the project as early as the cost estimation phase, taking all possible cost items into account.”
Defining standard items with sub-activities (in the form of composite items) and fixed unit prices within Gbuild makes a significant contribution to the success of the cost estimation process at Groep Van Roey: “The advantage of the library and the central item database in Gbuild ”The idea is that everyone, across all departments and throughout the entire project, will work with the same unit prices," explains Paul Franken.
Seamless transition from estimation to project execution
When the project enters the implementation phase, it is handed over to a project manager. He can make good use of the information from the cost estimation phase to draw up his work budget and launch the procurement process.
Cost estimation and project execution are closely linked. With accurate cost estimates and a work budget, you can also better manage your procurement process. The foundation for this is the information generated by the system.
Purchasing and Price Comparisons
The ability to compare prices during the purchasing phase was a ‘must’ for the Van Roey Group when transitioning to a new software system. Using Gbuild, Alistar implemented the ability to define different suppliers or subcontractors for each line item. They are displayed in a matrix format, making it very easy to compare prices visually. Then, with just a few mouse clicks, a purchase order or invoice can be generated automatically.
Paul Franken: “Gbuild automatically assigns a unique reference number to the purchase order, which the supplier must include on their invoice. This allows the accounting department to immediately assign the purchase invoice to the correct project upon receipt.”
The delivery of goods—whether to the construction site or the warehouse—is also managed through Gbuild. The Van Roey Group is pleased to use the inventory management module—part of the construction solution—to record the incoming and outgoing movements of materials at the vanhout.pro warehouse in Turnhout using barcode scanners.
Resource Planning and Project Execution
The Van Roey Group uses two planning schedules. Long-term planning should make it possible to estimate, for each project, the categories and types of workers needed, such as the number of formwork carpenters and masons.
From the long-term schedule in Gbuild, it’s easy to switch to the second scheduling plan: each employee’s short-term schedule. After all, in the software application’s HR module, workers are also assigned qualifications or job types. In a subsequent phase, the short-term schedule is then linked to time tracking on the job site. All this information is processed in Gbuild and forwarded to the payroll department for payroll processing.
Forecast Reports
According to Paul Franken, the forecast reports provided by Gbuild have become indispensable tools for day-to-day operations. After all, there are so many factors that play a role in a ‘project completion forecast’ that it is impossible to track them manually.
All costs related to machinery, materials, and labor are accurately allocated to the correct project in Gbuild. This allows us to use progress reports to determine, for each project and at any given time, how much profit will be made at the end of the project.
The software application also generates another report: the progress report. This report serves as the basis for interim invoicing to the customer. In this way, Gbuild indirectly contributes to improved cash flow at Groep Van Roey.
Excellent collaboration with Alistar
Paul Franken is full of praise for the collaboration with Alistar: both companies are perfectly aligned in their ambition to constantly question the status quo, challenge one another, and strive to do better and better.
The great thing about our partnership is that both parties benefit from it: one with a product that meets the needs of the construction industry better than ever, and the other with professional business operations thanks to an integrated system—namely, Gbuild.
