Time is the new wealth

For companies in the steel construction industry that work on a project basis, time is everything. You can't buy time, but you can use it more efficiently. Liemar provides a software solution for steel construction companies to better manage the time aspect. The planning module plays a crucial role, because time is capacity. Jan van Hapert of Liemar explains how steel construction companies can be maximally 'in control'.

Timely procurement, on-time delivery, assembly - these are all milestones in project management, Van Hapert begins. "Optimal project management is therefore vital in a dynamic and demanding market. With our software, steel construction companies can not only plan projects better and more efficiently, but they also immediately have a total overview per project, per component and even per person per day. Our system actually gives companies more time because processes are better aligned. And in this we are absolutely unique in the market."

Helicopter View
Liemar's software, however, goes one step further. Van Hapert: "We have fully fleshed out four statistics in our Business Intelligence module so that customers have insight into which knobs to turn in order to keep costs/benefits under control. But also, for example, to guarantee better liquidity or make more margin on a project." Van Hapert does not want to say which statistics these are, but is happy to explain them during a personal interview. "With our solution, companies have complete visibility into the operations and the various projects that are underway. All information is displayed in clear dashboards, so that at any moment it is possible to see, for example, how the company is doing, what the results of the projects are and which private works are open. Important management aspects for steel construction companies."

Market leader
Liemar works with a compact team of just seven specialists in the field of Lean and Scrum techniques and ICT, but is the market leader in the number of licenses/users among large steel construction companies. "Our software is suitable for companies with 30 employees or more, because that's when project management becomes really important," says Van Hapert. "The software runs on companies' own servers, but can also be run in the cloud for 100% if necessary. We are slowly seeing a shift in which companies are outsourcing the management of the ICT environment. A shift to the cloud is then a logical consequence. For our software, it doesn't matter. Moreover, the software architecture is constructed in such a way that there is no loss of speed when using possibly obsolete equipment."

Liemar's software solution is modular and includes all the modules a steel construction company needs. This ranges from calculation and quotation management to project management, work preparation and machine control. "We are the only supplier with 2-way communication to and from machines. When a product is ready, it is fed back to the ERP solution. Also unique is the 3-layer planning methodology in one module, consisting of project planning, product planning and planning per person per day. Finally, we offer modules for material and tool management, purchasing/sales and document management. In short, a comprehensive and complete package for optimal project management."  

Text | Roel van Gils  Image | Liemar