{"id":14690,"date":"2022-04-12T14:31:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-12T12:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alistar.net\/?p=14690"},"modified":"2026-10-02T14:58:17","modified_gmt":"2026-10-02T12:58:17","slug":"3-erps-later-i-think-were-finally-in-the-right-spot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alistar.net\/en\/blog\/3-erps-later-denk-ik-dat-we-eindelijk-goed-zitten\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAfter trying three ERPs, I think we\u2019ve finally found the right one.\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

IT Manager Tom Mampaey Speaks Candidly About Floorhouse\u2019s Business Software<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

FloorHouse<\/a> offers more than 400 hardwood flooring options in a wide variety of wood species, over 800 laminate flooring options from all the well-known top brands, and an extensive selection of cork and vinyl flooring. The rapidly growing company, with locations in Antwerp, Aartselaar, Hasselt, Turnhout, and Wommelgem, makes the most of its strong regional presence and complements it with e-commerce powered by the central BuildMaster ERP software, based on Microsoft Dynamics NAV. In preparation for the \u201cRethink ERP\u201d webinar, we spoke with IT Manager Tom Mampaey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to selling flooring, FloorHouse also offers a wide range of services, such as delivery, installation, maintenance, and the rental of various types of equipment. The company wanted to streamline its administrative work; it needed an online store; and the ERP system had to be able to be rolled out quickly if FloorHouse<\/a> finds a new premium retail location.

Tom: \u201cWe\u2019ve been through a lot when it comes to software. We started out a long time ago with a small Venice package that ran locally on our PCs, mainly for commercial management but without inventory management. We quickly realized we needed real ERP software and had a small local company develop a custom solution for us. It looked great\u2014even back then, it was already in the cloud! Quite unexpectedly, however, they went bankrupt. I still remember a grueling night when we had to back up everything to files because the next day, the plug was irrevocably going to be pulled!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith that painful experience still fresh in our minds, we opted for a standard ERP solution from a mid-sized provider. It worked, but we still often had to jump through hoops. The integration with our online store wasn\u2019t working properly, and that\u2019s absolutely crucial in the retail and DIY sectors. In addition, the reporting capabilities didn\u2019t meet our management\u2019s needs. And running a business based on incomplete figures and gut feelings isn\u2019t a good idea,\u201d Tom continues. During Rethink ERP, the reporting functionality of Power BI<\/a> in combination with Dynamics NAV<\/a> shown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnother key reason we eventually ditched that software package was its poor user-friendliness. There was a steep learning curve that required intensive training, and sometimes we simply couldn\u2019t get our people to understand it. All that time they had to invest in working with clunky software could have been better spent gaining product knowledge, learning about installation, and providing better service to our customers.\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here's how FloorHouse approached the ERP selection process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn addition to our own experiences, we looked into what our colleagues and competitors were doing. What were they using? We Googled and browsed endlessly and compiled a long list of key vendors, ranging from Oracle, SAP, and Microsoft all the way down to two independent contractors offering a great custom solution.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We narrowed our initial list of about 15 companies down to 10, which was then narrowed further to about 6 companies that came to present a demo. Our main criteria<\/p>\n\n\n\n