For many organisations, an ERP implementation in under a year and a half is unthinkable. Yet Croonwolter&dros achieved exactly that in a complex environment involving thousands of projects, managed services, and critical infrastructure.
Together with our help, the company launched an organisation-wide initiative focused on collaboration, standardisation, and data quality. We spoke with CEO Piet Jan Heijboer to ask, how did Croonwolter&dros pull it off, and what can other companies learn from their experience?
Heijboer has seen a lot of the construction sector. He grew from a calculator at Ballast Nedam to CEO at JP van Eesteren. In 2012, he joined the board of directors at TBI, a group of technology, construction and infrastructure companies. At the time, Heijboer already knew that the ERP system both companies were using was not future-proof. When the merger of Croon and Wolter & Dros was on the board table at TBI in 2017, Heijboer decided to step down from the board to lead the merger himself.
“Replacing an ERP system is not something you do for fun. It affects your entire organisation, and if something goes wrong, it can pose a threat to continuity. First, the two companies had to merge into one and become financially and organisationally stable, that is why I wanted to wait.”
In 2023, the organisation was ready to start a new ERP journey. It was important to involve all business disciplines right from the start. The business had to be well-represented, Heijboer explains: “The choice of a system, its design and its use had to be the responsibility of all MT members. We conducted in-depth evaluations together to assess our options.”
SAP came out on top: innovative, scalable and capable of handling Croonwolter&dros' large data volumes. Heijboer explains, “We execute 7,000 projects per year. In addition, we manage many buildings, tunnels and factories for our customers. For this, we have to record large volumes of data: which building and on which floor did we replace which pump? That amounts to millions of data.”
Emixa was brought on board as an implementation partner quickly because the deadlines were tight. Heijboer explains, “I heard from other organisations that an ERP process can easily take a few years. We didn’t have that time: we had to switch to a new system in a year, a maximum of one and a half.”
So it was full steam ahead for both teams. A mix of project leaders, key users and product owners from various divisions joined forces. Together, they formed the project 'Forward'. Heijboer explains: “The team had to work closely together, especially with such a tight deadline. That is why we paid a lot of attention to team building from the start. It turns out that we have a lot in common, such as one of our core values we share: Scoring Together.”
Piet Jan Heijboer, Croonwolter&dros (left) and Patrick Beks, Emixa (right).
As previously mentioned, the MT members were closely involved, each responsible for one of the business processes. “We wanted all divisions and ventures to work according to the same processes in the new system. By working according to the best practices provided by the new system, we were able to make a difference,” Heijboer explains. The project provided a great opportunity to achieve synergy benefits between the business units. As a result, this allows Croonwolter&dros to work more efficiently now and in the future, to access data more easily and ensure compliance with laws and regulations, which is crucial for Croonwolter&dros' customers.
The ERP implementation also offered the opportunity to improve data. For Croonwolter&dros, data is sometimes literally a matter of life and death. “We also manage critical infrastructure, such as tunnels, high-voltage stations, and defence locations. In view of cybersecurity legislation, we need to know exactly what kind of assets we are managing. Well-secured data is essential for this,” Heijboer explains.
“With this new system, we have laid the foundation, now we can continue building”
Project Forward also included several working groups dedicated to data cleansing and standardisation. Looking back, it was an exciting period that demanded a lot from Croonwolter&dros. Heijboer emphasises that the people involved deserve a huge compliment: “The people in the working groups helped set up and test the system. They then developed training courses for almost 3,000 colleagues and delivered them themselves. We then went live in one weekend. It was organised and executed like a military operation.”
According to Heijboer, the result is impressive. Thanks in part to the in-depth expertise and tight project management of Emixa and Croonwolter&dros, the organisation went live within fifteen months. The company is currently in the ‘after-care’ phase. Heijboer explains: “We are now visiting all business units with a team. Is the system being used as intended? Is additional training required? Were any design errors made? If so, what needs to be adjusted?”
Emixa’s Patrick Beks, Chief Technical Officer and SAP expert, explains: “This project was a fantastic challenge, for Croonwolter&dros and for ourselves. To go live with an ERP system for this type of organisation in just fifteen months is exceptionally fast. It was a challenge we embraced, we worked incredibly hard together. Along the way, we encountered new challenges, such as finding the right setup for all the data for managed services and then cleaning and standardising it. The fact that we succeeded in such a short timeframe was thanks to our combined expertise and dedication, as well as the deep involvement of the entire organisation.”
Looking ahead, Heijboer is optimistic: "With this new system, we have laid the foundation, now we can continue building. We have an IT landscape with many applications. We already have twelve applications for drawing. Now, we are going to approach all processes and systems in this way and collaborate much more between divisions. In fact, we have practised a new way of working with this project.”
When asked about what can others learn from this experience? “People often see replacing an ERP system as an IT or Finance project, but they're organisation-wide transformations. As CEO, you have to ensure that it is tackled together. You cannot delegate something like that. By standing up for yourself, you create support". Heijboer explains. A vision fully aligned with Emixa’s philosophy: where strategy, processes, systems, and organisation go hand in hand.
Is your business considering upgrading your ERP system? Let’s connect today to explore the possibilities and discover how our expertise can help you achieve a successful transformation.