In a short time, contractor Ploegam has grown into a well-established company, with not only more employees but also significantly more equipment. To keep equipment management on track and maintain a clear overview of the entire equipment range, the company from Oss chose Centix.
Choosing Centix: “We share the same approach”
A project team was soon assembled to begin the implementation. Anne van Uden, a team member who has been involved since the selection process, explains: “The responses to the survey we conducted among Ploegam employees showed that organising the maintenance and inspections of equipment through the previous system was very labour-intensive. In addition, there was a clear need for a better overview of the equipment range, and we wanted to move towards a digital catalogue so that our project staff could easily see which equipment was available from Ploegam. Centix provides exactly what we need.”
In addition, the fact that Centix speaks the language of the industry created a strong sense of recognition and a pleasant working relationship from the start. “We share the same approach,” Anne explains. “Centix, like us, is a no-nonsense company that is constantly developing. The system also offers the ability to integrate with other systems, such as our ERP system, which is an important requirement for Ploegam.”
Richard from Ploegam: “With Centix, we now have a clear picture of our maintenance history and are automatically notified when a piece of equipment needs to be inspected.”
Quality control and maintenance
Quality is paramount at Ploegam. After conducting a survey among users, it became clear that improvements were needed in the quality and maintenance of the equipment. Anne explains: “We clearly needed a system that helps us keep track of inspections and maintenance. For example, we now run less risk of disrupting the progress of our projects because our equipment is better organised and inspected on time. At the same time, we want to prevent people from hiring external equipment too quickly because they don’t know exactly what equipment we already have available. With the upcoming catalogue in Centix, that will soon be a thing of the past.”
Equipment manager Richard van Hoof has been working with the system for about a year and finds it very user-friendly. “Previously, we used our ERP system to manage the inspections and maintenance of our equipment,” he says. “But if, for example, a drill hadn’t been inspected, you had to physically search for it. In Centix, you can upload the inspection certificate and all related documents, and you automatically receive a notification when a piece of equipment needs to be inspected.”
Clear overview
“Uploading data and managing our equipment in Centix is ideal,” Richard says. “All technical data are clearly organised. Previously, people had to search for certificates and manuals, but now I can store them directly in the system. Adding equipment is also very straightforward. We now have a clear overview of our maintenance history. If something breaks down, we can easily see what maintenance has been carried out in the past.”
The implementation of Centix at Ploegam is being carried out in several phases. Anne explains: “First, the integrations between the systems were set up. Every resource and project created in the ERP system is now available in Centix in real time. Next, the inspection and maintenance module of Centix was configured and put into use by the yard team. The next phase is the rollout of the digital catalogue, which the project team has been working on for several months. In the near future, we will be able to share it across the entire company and gain a clear overview of our equipment range. After that, we will start pilot projects to implement Centix’s rental module as well, allowing us to quickly and easily see from the worksite which project or location a piece of equipment is assigned to.”
Rental in Centix
Ploegam’s goal is to have all of its rentals managed in Centix by the start of 2024. According to Richard, this will require a cultural shift, as everyone will then place their orders through the digital catalogue. Nevertheless, he and Anne are convinced that it will ultimately benefit everyone. “People will soon be able to place orders very easily using their phones, instead of sending messages or making calls,” Richard says. Anne adds: “We ultimately want to have all our projects managed in Centix. Our main goal with this is gaining better insight. Ploegam places great value on organisational flexibility. That is also the strength of our cooperation with Centix. It allows us to adapt more easily to market developments, continue to innovate and further develop our organisation.”
For more information about Ploegam, please visit the Ploegam website.
Discover what Centix can do for your organisation
Interested in learning more after reading about Ploegam’s experience? During a product demonstration, I would be happy to show you the possibilities Centix has to offer. Depending on your requirements, I will guide you through the system in around 30 minutes to an hour, giving you a clear overview of our complete equipment management solution.
Prefer to explore at a time of your own choosing? Request the demonstration video!
