As an installation company, how do you make the best possible use of your people and resources? How do you reduce your operating costs by improving efficiency in sales, scheduling, invoicing, inventory management, cost analysis, etc.? The answer is simple: business software designed with the specific needs of refrigeration installation companies in mind. Alistar has taken this message to heart and configures its software to fit the operations of the installation company, connecting all applications together. A key advantage is that this is done on a Microsoft platform.
A conversation with Lieven Tuytschaever Alistar about Gservice, a turnkey solution developed in collaboration with dozens of installation companies.
“We strive to develop a customer-specific solution based on our comprehensive standard package,” says Lieven Tuytschaever, Account Executive at Alistar. “When designing our solution, we work with the customer to identify the best alternatives for achieving the ultimate goal. We try to avoid customization as much as possible, but it’s still an option. This allows us to strive for the most ideal solution for the customer. To do this, we can rely on 100 employees spread across two offices (Oevel and Ghent). In addition, we are a Microsoft Gold Partner, and Alistar has the largest Dynamics installed base in Belgium.”
“The Microsoft platform is open to improvements and enhancements from Microsoft partners. Add-ons for document scanning and handling, a graphical planning board, mobile field service, warehouse management, reporting, and dashboards—among other features—continuously expand the platform’s capabilities, enabling us to offer our customers an ever-better total solution based on the catalog of standard components.”
With the latest version of Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central as the ERP system, any customizations will also be housed in a separate app, making upgrades much simpler and, above all, more cost-effective.
Lieven Tuytschaever Alistar
Continuity
“Do you know what often goes wrong at installation companies or smaller software firms? Only one person has the expertise to modify the software that’s been developed. If that person leaves—for example, by retiring, taking a long-term leave of absence due to illness, or, in the worst-case scenario, moving to a competitor—then there’s no one left in the company who can modify or expand the software. Then you’ve got a big problem. You’ll never have to deal with something like that with us, because the Gservice solution is always developed by a team that combines expertise and continuity.”
“Gservice is Alistar’s integrated, end-to-end solution for installation companies, designed to manage and track projects. A single software system that provides a comprehensive approach across the various areas of business automation.”
This makes Gservice the ideal solution for installation companies and project- and service-oriented organizations that want to automate their processes. The foundation of Alistar’s integrated software system is the 4D Solution Concept, a comprehensive approach combining ERP (more efficient business processes), CRM (balanced customer relationships), BI (maximum business insight through automated reporting), and ECM (streamlined document management).
Solution
Lieven Tuytschaever cites a number of examples:
‘Many of the companies we work for have experienced rapid growth in recent years and are evolving from sole proprietorships into medium-sized HVAC specialists. To manage this rapid growth effectively, these types of companies need to be able to rely on business software to professionalize their processes, increase efficiency, and improve internal collaboration.”
“In addition, a standard workflow must be established—from quotation to final invoicing—that all teams must follow. Choosing Microsoft Dynamics, in combination with Alistar’s Gservice, is a wise move in this regard. Experience in the HVAC and installation sector is of paramount importance here. Moreover, if this experience is lacking, a software integrator will immediately be found wanting. In Gservice, most business processes for the HVAC sector are already built in, which can only benefit the final implementation.”
“Drawing on our expertise and experience, we devote a great deal of time to mapping out the internal operations of the installation company. “This is the first important step that lays the foundation for everything that follows.”
“But this is also an important process for the customer, because it requires them to scrutinize their operations, simplify them, and standardize them. The result is a more transparent and organized operation.”
Standardization
Thanks to this standardization, it is possible to initiate and complete the entire process—from estimation to final invoicing—in Gservice. All users across the various teams (estimating, sales, operations, after-sales service, and finance) can track this workflow in the system. Because all processes follow a fixed template, the margin of error is drastically reduced, and despite potential growth, the number of back-office staff can often remain the same, even as the number of technicians increases.
“Project and service management have been thoroughly developed in our Gservice solution and for our customers,” concludes Lieven Tuytschaever.
“Our consultants have years of experience in supporting these types of companies and setting up project and service management within Microsoft Dynamics. Streamlining the complex processes of installation companies is our specialty. Our consultants” expertise plays a major role in the success of such projects.”
