'The software is not limited to steel construction alone'

From dreading automation to not being able to live without it

For nearly half a century, Constructiebedrijf van de Camp has specialized in the engineering and production of steel structures for residential construction, hall construction and other structural work. "Customers can come to us for complete steel structures, lintels, stairs, balustrades, welding, wear-resistant plates and various repair work," says director/owner Roy van de Camp. "As a small-scale family business, we work with a close-knit team of professionals. As a result, lines of communication are short and we can guarantee consistently high quality. Because all our steel projects are quoted and managed in MatrixMetaal, we continuously maintain an overview."

Constructiebedrijf van de Camp is located in Megen, municipality of Oss, where it has a production hall of about 1,000 m2, an outdoor storage facility of about 3,000 m2 and an office building that are being upgraded step by step. With Roy van de Camp, the second generation has been at the helm of the steel construction company for about three years. Under his wings, MatrixMetaal was also started. "Whereas MatrixMetaal is mainly used to calculate new projects, we use the MatrixProject module for our quotation management, order management, time registration and post calculation," he says. "What appeals to me most about the software is its flexibility and extensive capabilities. In addition, Matrix Software has a modern take on software development. I am an out-of-the-box thinker and also want to be able to use functionalities that may not be standard. Matrix Software thinks along with me in this. For example, with regard to the visualization of certain data and the creation of reports. Everyone can adjust the program to their own liking." He is also very satisfied with the time registration. "Whereas everyone used to keep track of their own project hours in a notebook, this is now collected and recorded in one central location and digitally. As a result, we always have a good basis for post-calculation. The lines are really a lot shorter."

Directly stored

"When a project request comes in to us, it is stored directly in MatrixMetaal's database," Van de Camp said. "Then we can also add a submission date to this. In addition, we can automatically send an e-mail to the customer that we have received the request and when they can expect a response. All information that is then added is automatically stored on the Matrix Drive. This keeps all application documents available at all times."

Quotation and calculation

"To quote, I very simply click on the 'make quote' button," Van de Camp said. "Then, in the project environment, I can start the calculation. I create a calculation model in our external drawing package, which is loaded and calculated in MatrixMetaal, based on the supplier prices that are kept up-to-date by Matrix Software and to which my discounts are already linked. If desired, I can also easily add text to the quotation. I can use standard text fragments. This means that standard texts can be added and removed at the push of a button. A major advantage over Microsoft Word, for example, which is much more laborious. When the quotation is ready, a quotation report can easily be generated at the push of a button, in which, in addition to the quotation, corresponding drawings, general conditions and other files can be included. Simply by ticking the desired files. Then the whole thing can be sent to the customer directly from MatrixMetaal." 

Assignment phase

Once approved by the customer, the quote can be converted into an order in MatrixMetaal. "I can then add any changes and additional work, so they are visible to everyone in the organization," he says. In the order phase, all office hours, workshop hours, transport movements et cetera are recorded. "And the procurement of materials is also carried out through the system. Simply by loading the final drawing and - using a special button - filtering the materials actually needed for ordering. Here it is also possible to directly compare the quotation calculation and order calculation." In the realization phase, for example, purchase invoices can be stored on the Matrix Drive and linked to material certificates (attestations). "This creates a complete project file, in which we can easily find the right information at any time and which also ensures CE certification."

Billing

"In the invoicing phase, total invoices, term invoices or invoices based on direction can be created as desired," Van de Camp knows. "At the moment there is no link with our accounting package yet, but we do intend to put this in place soon. After that, the circle of estimating, quoting, project management and invoicing will be complete."

Well listened to in practice

"Matrix Software is a very nice organization to work with," Van de Camp emphasizes. "Helpdesk questions are picked up and solved immediately whenever possible. Moreover, they listen carefully to the practice. For example, what we pay a lot of attention to in our steel construction is the actual price per kilo. I did not (yet) come across this price at 'material consumption' in MatrixMetaal. I submitted a 'wish' for this, which has already been incorporated in the next version. The software is continuously innovated and improved, based on wishes and insights from the market."

Pleasant learning curve

"In addition to steel structures, we are increasingly supplying the foundations, cladding and floors," Van de Camp concludes. "Here, too, MatrixMetaal offers a solution. The software is not limited to steel construction alone. For example, if I want to create an item number for a panel or hollow-core slab floor, I can just do that. The program really moves with the developments of our company. Moreover, the learning curve is very pleasant. Also because the branch and product managers protect you. If I start something, I would prefer to be fully up and running by next week. Branch manager Jacko Woutersen slowed me down in this by exploring the various modules step-by-step and company-wide. This kept the change manageable for everyone and still made the program useful from the start. The program can be integrated step by step and immediately added value."