At the study office Infrabo openthebox is a fixed value in the workplace. “The intuitiveness and ease of use were so convincing that we haven't even checked other tools.”
Infrabo offers technical and independent support in the areas of infrastructure, water management, building techniques and sustainability. This can include local authorities, higher authorities and intermunicipal authorities as well as developers, contractors and architects. The Kempen group works for the government and for the private B2B market, and has grown into an established name with around forty permanent employees in forty years.
Because the construction sector is simply highly sensitive to the cyclical cycle, Infrabo needs a solid tool for screening its various partners. “Many - especially smaller - project developers are not having an easy time,” illustrates Kristof, who runs the company with fellow director Geert Du Pont. “Of course, this also has an impact on our activities as a supportive advice and research firm.”
Screening tool
So last year, Infrabo looked for a suitable screening tool. In the meantime, openthebox has been a fixed value within the company for a year. “We don't necessarily use the application on a daily basis, but we do use it very regularly,” says Kristof. This happens for various target groups:
- Prospects: a few years ago, Infrabo was confronted with the bankruptcy of two customers. She says she could have avoided the fiscal losses that the group has suffered as a result with better screening. Since then, openthebox has been invariably used to financial condition of all prospects to check.
- Customers: Infrabo also uses openthebox to follow up existing customers. Kristof Pauels: “Through the follow-up function, we stay up to date with developments within their companies. For example, when a new director is appointed somewhere, we automatically receive a notification.”
- Competitor's: “Openthebox is also very useful for screening our competitors,” says Kristof. “That's how we quickly find out exactly what they do and what ties they have with other companies such as certain construction companies. The spiderweb function This is because it reveals such connections at a glance. Of course, such information can also offer added value on a strategic level.”
- Suppliers: in the future, Infrabo also wants to screen its suppliers more thoroughly using openthebox. “Recently, we were still subject to an executive order against third parties because one of our partners had not paid his corporate tax,” Kristof illustrates. “We often work as a subcontractor with environmental experts, safety coordinators and other service providers. A good check-up can prevent a lot of problems.”
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“All financial parameters are neatly and conveniently bundled in openthebox.”
Kristof Pauels, director of Infrabo
What are the advantages?
Before Infrabo finally opted for openthebox, an employee had already tried its free version a few times. “She was very enthusiastic about that,” says Kristof. “The question quickly arose to be able to use the application more extensively. We then looked at what the market had to offer, but it quickly became clear that openthebox stood out in terms of intuitiveness and ease of use. These strengths were so decisive that we haven't even checked other tools.”
“In the past, we had to gather all kinds of financial information from various sources, such as the National Bank's Central Balance Sheet Office and the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises. Today, we find all financial parameters neatly and conveniently bundled within the openthebox application. Of course, we still have to interpret that data ourselves, but it's all a lot faster and more flexible than before.”
Infrabo works internally with the Dutch software developer's ERP (enterprise resource planning) and CRM (customer relationship management) packages APHAS. “In the future, we hope to be able to link this to the openthebox data platform,” says Kristof. “We'll be sitting down with the developers soon to see if such an integration is effectively possible.”
“With the spider web function, we can see at a glance whether our competitors have ties with certain construction companies, for example.”
Kristof Pauels, director of Infrabo
