With the arrival of Exact Synergy The CRM component was also set up effectively. ‘We’re 100 percent digital; all our work processes are in Exact. Sometimes we go a little overboard with it. On the bright side, there isn’t a single filing cabinet left in the entire company with paperwork in it,’ Van den Aarsen laughs. ‘We work with dealers, so we’ve set up a dealer portal. The portal is linked to Exact. This allows our dealers and us to find and process everything digitally, such as orders, product and price lists, inspections, warranties, document management, real-time order statuses, and customer relationship management.’
We are 100 percent digital; all our work processes are managed in Exact.
Wouter van den Aarsen
About VDA (Palfinger dealer)
VDA Konstruktie BV is a body shop that specializes in the production and assembly of trucks equipped with hydraulic loading and unloading systems. The chassis arrive as bare frames and are fully assembled by VDA, resulting in an approved vehicle. VDA is a dealer for the brand Palfinger. The company sold so many systems in the region—50 out of 100 hydraulic systems per year—that VDA was able to convince the Austrian firm to establish a new company to take over import operations for the Netherlands. This led to the creation of Palfinger Nederland, an independent trading organization responsible for the nationwide sales of all Palfinger products.
Significant time savings through automation in Exact
‘The digitization in Exact is a godsend,’ Van den Aarsen continues. ‘Before, we did everything—and I mean everything—on paper forms. And each process required a different form. To order parts, we had to look them up in the suppliers’ catalogs, find and write down the part numbers, and then enter them on an order form. The possibilities for recording items are enormous. We have a parts warehouse that holds 6,500 different products. The Exact system currently includes about 26,000 items; however, there are a total of 100,000 different items.
These days, dealers can check online to see if we have items in stock. If the desired item isn’t available, the system suggests an alternative. The items are listed with an image, so the chance of a mistake is reduced to virtually zero. If everything weren’t as automated as it is now, we’d have eight people working in the after-sales department instead of the six who work there now. That’s a huge gain! We also save a lot of time on administrative tasks, because everything is archived digitally.
Everything that comes in is scanned and routed to the right person through the workflow. No more paperwork and the associated lost correspondence. The invoicing process is currently being digitized through the implementation of the Incoming Invoice Register.’
Good and flawless
VDA and Palfinger are satisfied with Exact. Over the years, their use of the software has continued to evolve and expand. It works very well and is reliable.
Van den Aarsen particularly appreciates the combination of Exact Globe and Exact Synergy very strong. ‘Exact Synergy is a flexible package that can be customized exceptionally well to meet individual needs with workflows and digital documents. All users work with it effectively and actively. These days, I receive requests for changes and new features related to Exact directly from the employees themselves. Whereas in the early years, it was really management that drove the use of Exact Synergy ’We had to encourage that. These days, we’re all 'Synergised,'" Van den Aarsen laughs.
Previous situation
VDA has been using Exact for Windows since 1997, and since January 2005, the company has been using Exact Globe. The need had arisen to document all other business processes in addition to the financial and logistical ones.
Solution
All work processes have now been further optimized in Exact Globe and Exact Synergy. Paper is no longer used within the organization. The companies operate independently but collaborate closely. All processes are fully digitized.
The Benefits
- 100 percent digital, no filing cabinets
- No errors in orders
- Workflows provide a clear overview of activities
- Time and Cost Savings
