KATO Projects achieves continuous growth and expansion of the company without the use of developers.

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Situation

Since 1994, KATO has been offering a wide range of products and services in the field of office fit-outs and furniture. Capturing the identity of clients and the creation of an inspiring environment is an essential aspect of office design. This is a highly competitive, fast-moving market, in which it is essential to keep up. In such a growing company software needs change constantly to optimally support new strategic choices.

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Ambition

When the business started out as a small SME, standard ERP software did the job fine. Due to considerable growth, with ever larger projects, this application became a straitjacket. In order to have an optimal overview of stocks, purchasing and delivery of orders, and to optimize services and processes, an integrated working method was modeled on the Novulo platform. This gave the projects a boost, while maintaining efficiency and agility.

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Result

Since starting with Novulo in 2015, more than 40 updates of the production application have been implemented without the use of developers and with functional components already available on the platform. Integration of all the working processes has made activities measurable. Thus, Novulo gives KATO the freedom to continuously facilitate the growth of the business, while at the same time making the organization efficient.

Deploying software strategically

The crux of good software is a quick and flexible implementation of the customer's strategic choices. Forget standard packaged software that forces an organization to adapt processes and activities to the system, or to buy new software. All of KATO's wishes can be realized quickly and with feasible investments on the Novulo platform. A big advantage of the platform is that KATO could start with a small implementation. Later on, this was expanded step by step by adding other components to the application.

Developing a low-code ERP

As a result, the application can be scaled up quickly and effectively. In early 2020, KATO started to add functionality in this way, to further streamline project planning. The scanning of goods in and out has been improved, so that the stock records are balanced. Margins on products are transparent at all times in the sales process. The contracts of employees are also part of the system and linked to a task registration system.

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KATO has now rolled out a complete system of PIM, WMS, OMS, procurement, financial administration, planning, rental, customer service, digital processing of incoming orders, HR and reports.

Facilitating growth

Integration of all the working processes has made projects and activities much more measurable. During a conversation with the client about the office interior, all wishes are recorded immediately. This way, the information is immediately available in the back office. All that remains to be done is to draw up a quotation and add a number of sketches. The efficiency of the system is a major stimulus for growth.

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The ability to continuously anticipate on business developments creates a continuous process of expanding the organizational activities at the moment opportunities rise. Responding to this dynamic is what made the turbulent growth of this company possible. This is 'modeling your future' in practice and fits in perfectly with KATO's own motto: ' providing the best environment for work'.

"With standard ERP, entrepreneurs align their processes with the software. With Novulo, it's the other way around. This platform enables you to capture your organizations unique competitive advantage in software." Martijn Engbers - Operational Director of KATO Kantoorinrichting

Expanding step by step

A major advantage of the Novulo platform is that customers can start with a small implementation and can expand the software step by step. That's an essential quality of the software according to Martijn Engbers, operational director at KATO Projects. This ability to constantly anticipate on business opportunities enables growth and strategic expansion of activities.

Why did you choose Novulo?

"Novulo has a complete story and a special vision that optimally supports KATO's expansion and growth. Resulting in an application to which functionality can easily be added. I sometimes hear people in the market complain about their applications. A lot of times it doesn't do what they want. When I hear myself referring to Novulo, I always find myself talking enthusiastically. If something is not possible right now, Novulo makes sure it becomes available quickly. This includes excellent links to systems that are valuable to our organization.

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The software creates its added value, because each customer's software is composed of the same library of components. Each customer gets a unique application by choosing a different composition of components. If functionality is lacking or differs significantly, it can quickly be supplemented. This is ideal for customers, because the system meets their wishes and does not contain any surplus, unwanted functionality. With standard packages, customers have to adapt their processes to the software. At Novulo, it's the other way around: it's not the customer that adapts, but the software."

What kind of expansions are made?

"An upcoming expansion involves adding a project and time registration system, including absenteeism and leave. KATO's webstore, which runs on another system, will also be connected to Novulo's backoffice system. Orders currently arrive separately. Thanks to this interface, online orders will automatically be registered in Novulo. Such an investment pays for itself because in the end it saves a lot of time. Centralization of this information also means that probability of errors is reduced.

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The Novulo platform offers the possibility to generate any insight you want from the administration contributing much to efficiency. In our company, for example, we measure weekly turnover by displaying the number of orders per week. We also have error efficiency overviews of the entire warehouse and per customer. These types of configurable overviews make it possible to carry out administrative checks easily."

What do you value in the cooperation?

"The software has a great look and feel and is very user friendly. My business partner for example is not really IT savvy. For him, too, the application works like a charm. This was a very important condition for the software to be adapted rapidly throughout the organization. Novulo is also an accessible organization. Suppliers of packaged software often work with consultants which makes it difficult to influence the development roadmap.

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That is something you don't want when it affects the core of your business. KATO is directly in touch with our contact person at Novulo, who tackles questions and issues. It's just a matter of contacting Novulo, and then things get resolved quickly. This gives the customer maximum transparency.

What does Novulo stand for as a brand?

"Novulo does everything in its power to make us a satisfied user. We started with a basic version of the software, and are now gradually extending it to the use of a complete system covering all business processes. When there are changes and upgrades, we receive a good explanation and we can see and experience the change ourselves in the test environment before it is put into production. The Novulo platform enables our company to gradually and steadily expand the application as our business grows. That's just great."

What can Novulo do for you?

This example of KATO demonstrates that organizations considering replacing their legacy systems with the Novulo platform, for example, can realize their application with existing components at considerable speed. And this is not just about replacement. The flexibility and complete range of components in the platform guarantee optimum speed, maneuverability and return on investment. These are essential qualities if you want to stand out as an organization.

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Thanks to modeling of the software, you do not get stuck but you can optimally support new developments and new business ideas with software even if needs evolve over time.

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