“‘There’s only one who can do it, and that’s Haveman.’ The slogan emerges spontaneously during a conversation taking place at the office of Carel Glatz, managing director at Haveman Edelmetaal, and Marc Tuijp, incoming managing director. Together with Mark de Waard, managing director of Alistar, they look back on 25 years of collaboration.
It doesn’t feel like 25 years, because everything runs so smoothly that Haveman’s specialty takes center stage. It’s craftsmanship; software is a far cry from that. But in order to run the business optimally as a craftsman, quite a few things have changed in the software realm over those 25 years.”
The Revolution in Exact and Human Resources
Carel and Marc jointly lead Haveman’s 30-person team. Together with Mark de Waard, they take a trip down memory lane and reminisce about the first steps toward process optimization and automation—something they desperately needed back in 1996. Mark de Waard had just started his own company and got in touch with Carel through his neighbor.
Mark begins: “Together with Carel, we set out to see if we could create a solution in Exact for DOS to manage the factory. There was confidence in the financial side of things, but fully managing the factory with production orders was new. On top of that, they also wanted to become ISO 9000 certified, so we had our work cut out for us.”
Carel adds: “We also needed PCs and cabling. There was absolutely nothing there yet. We were coming from the so-called ‘dumb terminal,’ and we had to take the first step toward automation. Fortunately, Mark knew someone who could supply all of that, so after this ‘revolution,’ the new way of working could begin.”.
”But the real revolution wasn't in setting up a network or working with Exact for DOS. Getting all the staff on board with this change was the biggest challenge. Mark took a pragmatic approach and wrote out the work instructions word for word, so that everyone knew what steps needed to be taken."
One of the aspects of their collaboration that Carel and Marc value so much is contributing ideas and working together—doing everything they can to make it a success.
Crystal Report
So it all started with Exact for DOS. That became Exact for Windows, and then Exact Globe. They still use it at Haveman.
“With the addition of Crystal Reports to Exact Globe We manage the process from start to finish. When an order comes in, we create a production order for it here in Crystal Reports. It specifies exactly what needs to be done. It is then sent to the customer as a packing slip. Crystal Reports is integrated into the Exact license. For ISO certification, I couldn’t extract the right data from Exact, but I could with Crystal Reports. That saves a lot of work and has paid off big time,” says Carel.
We are now looking at the next innovation for this process.
All of this has been overseen by a consultant from Alistar, who still works there. “If there’s a problem, all I have to do is call, and it gets taken care of. It’s always been that way over the past 25 years, and that feels very reassuring. Actually, the consultant feels like part of our team—it really feels that way.”
Customers and Strategy
You wouldn’t necessarily expect it when you drive up to Haveman in Voorburg, but they’re the ones who gild the royal family’s golden carriage. They also gild jewelry for private clients and the trunk lids on a Saudi Airlines Boeing 747. From large to small, they can do it all.
Carel: “So our strategy has always been: take on everything! We offer a variety of finishing services, and what we do is truly a niche in the market. Customers can really only find what they need here. People regularly just walk in with a piece of jewelry or something else that needs to be gold-plated. That creates a buzz, but it also provides stability.”
So customers have no trouble finding Haveman. Still, Haveman is also moving toward the future, which may include even more automation in its processes. This will allow the new management to focus its time on business development and optimization.
“If there’s a problem, it gets fixed—that’s how it’s always been over the past 25 years.”
Carel Glatz
Future Plans
Marc will succeed Carel in the near future. This will bring about some changes. To ensure a smooth transition, they are taking their time with this handover.
Marc explains: “We want to continue to grow along with the market. In terms of automation, everything is well organized, and things are also going well with the processes in the factory. There are certain processes we can’t handle yet, but it’s a matter of weighing whether we’ll move in that direction in the future. Above all, we want to focus on what we’re good at, and that’s been going well for a long time. But we’ll always do everything we can to retain our customers. In the future, we want to explore whether we can also Exact Synergy can start working. With a CRM system, I can better keep the back door closed and have everything in one place. In any case, it would fit in with the collaboration that’s always been there; modernization is the future!”
About Haveman
Haveman Edelmetaal has been based in Voorburg since 1951. The company specializes in electrolytic and chemical surface treatments for products and metals. It makes a significant contribution to the durability and functionality of products.
These include corrosion protection, wear resistance, hardness, impact resistance, aesthetic appeal, and many other properties that determine or enhance the product's usability. www.haveman-edelmetaal.nl/
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Would you like to brainstorm with Arie van Leeuwe, the account manager for Haveman, about innovations for your organization? Feel free to contact him. He’ll listen, ask the right questions, and then work with you to explore what’s possible.
Arie van Leeuwe
