In a short time, contracting company Ploegam has grown into a company of stature, with not only more people but also significantly more equipment. In order to keep the equipment management on the right track and to create an overview of the entire range, the builder from Oss engaged Centix.
Soon a project team was put together to start the implementation. Anne van Uden, team member and involved since the selection process, says: “The responses to the survey, which we conducted among Ploegam employees, showed that it was very laborious to organize the maintenance and inspections of the equipment through the former system. In addition, there was a clear need for an overview of the equipment range and we wanted to move towards a digital catalog, so that our project staff could see what equipment was available from Ploegam. In this, Centix provides exactly what we need.”
Moreover, the fact that Centix speaks the language of the industry ensured recognition and a pleasant cooperation for Ploegam from the beginning. “We share the same style,” Anne explains. “Centix, like us, is a no-nonsense company that is in full development. In addition, the system offers the ability to integrate with other systems, such as our ERP system, which is a requirement for Ploegam.”
Richard from Ploegam: "With Centix, we now have a clear picture of our maintenance history and you automatically get a notification when a piece of equipment needs to be inspected."
Quality and maintenance
Quality is paramount at Ploegam. After conducting the survey of users, it became clear that improvements were needed in quality and maintenance of the equipment. Anne explains: “So we clearly needed a package that helps us keep track of inspections and maintenance. For example, we now run less risk of hindering the progress of our projects because the equipment is better in order 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 have on hand. With the upcoming catalog in Centix, that will be a thing of the past.”
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Equipment manager Richard van Hoof has been working with the program for about a year and, among other things, finds it very user-friendly. “Before, we used our ERP system to manage the inspections and maintenance of our equipment,” he says. “But if, for example, a drill wasn’t inspected, you had to physically look for it. In Centix, you can upload the inspection certificate (and all related documents) and you automatically get a notification when a piece of equipment needs to be inspected.”
Clear overview
“Uploading data and keeping track of equipment management in Centix is ideal,” Richard says. “All technical data are insightful. Before, people had to look for certificates and manuals, but now I can put them right there. Entering pieces of equipment is also very easy. We now have a clear picture of our maintenance history. If something is broken then, we can easily see what maintenance was performed in the past.”
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The implementation of Centix at Ploegam proceeds in successive phases. Anne explains, “First, the links between the systems were realized. Every resource and project created in the ERP system is now in Centix in real time. Then the inspection and maintenance module of Centix was set up and put into use by the yard. The next phase is the rollout of the digital catalog, on which the project team has been busy for several months. In the very near future, we will be able to share it company-wide and thus visualize our equipment assortment. Then we will start pilot projects to also implement Centix’s rental module, so that we can quickly and easily see from the worksite which project/location the piece of equipment is on.”
Rental in Centix
Ploegam’s goal is to have all of its rentals in Centix by the start of 2024. According to Richard, this will still require a culture change, because everyone will then be placing orders through the digital catalog. Still, Anne and he are convinced that it will ultimately benefit everyone. “People will soon be able to place orders very easily with their phones, instead of appending or calling,” Richard says. Anne adds, “We eventually want to have all our projects in Centix soon. Our biggest goal with that is insight. Ploegam attaches great value to organizational flexibility. That is also the strength of the cooperation with Centix. This makes it easier for us to move with the market, continue to innovate and develop ourselves further.”