ROC de Leijgraaf

The go-to knowledge partner for over 20 years 

We have strong ties with educational institutions. Some clients have been working with Alistar for over 20 years. That’s a long time! What’s the story behind that? What makes this partnership work so well after all these years? Has it always gone smoothly, or have there been milestones when the partnership faced challenges? In short, what makes Alistar the kind of partner that’s trusted to be the go-to knowledge partner—sometimes for more than 20 years?

We spoke with Pierre Loeffen, finance and control manager at ROC de Leijgraaf in Veghel. It was a heartwarming story about a partnership characterized by trust, direct communication, and expertise.

A strong partnership from day one

Pierre immediately begins talking enthusiastically about his collaboration with Alistar’s education specialist, Teun van Essen. While collaborations often have their ups and downs, Pierre’s story is one of nothing but highlights. Things are just going well; there’s trust, and everything is running smoothly.

Pierre: “I’ve been working at ROC de Leijgraaf since 2008; back then, Exact Financials our entire package. It was a very pleasant experience, and whenever there was a problem, it was resolved immediately and effectively by an Alistar consultant.

The first consultant I worked with was truly seasoned; he really knew everything. Of course, that works very well. But actually, this applies to all Alistar consultants who come here. And, of course, to Teun as well. He’s an authority in his own right. These people really know their stuff, and that’s why we’ve been a client for so long. I have our regular consultant’s cell phone number; that gives me peace of mind. I don’t need it very often, but if I do, I can reach out. That way, we never get stuck.

‘On top of that, I can explain everything to the consultant in so-called ’layman’s terms,” and he immediately translates it into the right technical language. That saves me a lot of time.”

“They really know what they’re doing, which is why we’ve been customers for so long.”

Pierre Loeffen

Exact Financials and ProActive

Pierre continues enthusiastically: “So we work with Exact Financials, but also with ProActive. We’ve been using this software for three years now. Previously, we used a different system. It was primarily a digital archiving system, and we asked them if they could also develop a solution for a digital purchasing and ordering process.

When we put this question out there, we also discussed it with Teun. To my surprise, Teun attended the presentation to contribute his ideas and provide us with tips and tricks. I found that quite remarkable, considering that the other company was actually a competitor of Alistar.

We ended up partnering with that company, but over time, it didn’t quite meet our needs. It was limited to digital archiving, whereas we really wanted to place orders and issue invoices digitally and integrate directly with Exact. We called Teun again, and that’s when ProActive came into the picture.”

Time savings

Since ProActive was added to Exact Financials A lot of time has been saved. Whereas Pierre used to have to do a lot of manual checks under the old system, that’s no longer necessary. The speed at which invoices are linked to Exact is also a major improvement.

Pierre explains: “It was implemented remotely, after which the consultant visited us to explain everything. The whole process went very smoothly. Afterward, we received a report and a reference guide so that we can always review everything.”

“For several years now, we’ve been part of a digital ‘User Group’ for Alistar’s educational solutions, along with other educational institutions. A lot of knowledge and information is shared there.”

ROC de Leijgraaf

Provision of Information

So the relationship between the ROC and Alistar is strong, but in a competitive bidding process, an organization can, of course, always switch to an even better-suited solution, if one turns out to be available.

“I just don’t want to switch; everything works well, communication is good, and I know who I’m working with. No offense to other software packages, but I just don’t see why I’d go to all that trouble.”.

On top of that, Teun also knows very well what is and isn’t relevant to us. For several years now, we’ve been part of a so-called digital ‘user group’ for education, together with a group of ROCs and other educational institutions. Teun set this up. As soon as there’s a relevant update or release from Exact or the education sector, he immediately shares the information there. We also exchange ideas there.”

Milestones in the Collaboration

When asked if there are any milestones to highlight in the collaboration with Alistar, Pierre has to think carefully. To him, it feels like one big tribute, and aside from the excellent service and collaboration, he can’t immediately name anything specific.

The milestone is actually woven into the story's central theme: Alistar knows what needs to be done, when it needs to be done, and how to do it.

Pierre says: “If we have a problem and I call the consultant, he’ll fix it. Even on a day when it’s scorching hot and he’s out watering his garden. And that’s no exaggeration. He makes time for us, and we get the help we need. I can’t put it any better than that.”

Relevant updates and future plans

“I just don’t want to go along with every update; it’s not always relevant, and it’s not always worth the effort and expense. Teun proactively keeps us informed about that, too. If he knows that something is relevant to us but not to someone else, he’ll be honest about it with both clients. I’d really describe the collaboration as informal and professional. Everyone is knowledgeable, the service desk is great, and response times are fast,” says Pierre.

We don't have any specific software-related goals for the future at this time. A merger with another school is in the works. Fortunately, they also use Exact Financials, so this will probably go smoothly. Pierre is very clear on this as well: “Wishes for the future? Yes, that things stay the way they are!”

About ROC de Leijgraaf

For ROC de Leijgraaf, quality education is the top priority. The personal development and learning of the students are central to everything they do. Everything they do revolves around the students. They not only ensure that students are well-prepared for the future but also that they continue to actively work toward it themselves. They do this for the region, but increasingly also in partnership with the region.

They work with Exact Financials and the ProActive purchase-to-pay solution. Learn more at ROC de Leijgraaf.