Information hub for all employees
GAPTEQ provides a central platform for diverse information, discussion opportunities and structured processes
The client
HOLZMANUFAKTUR, based in Stuttgart, manufactures solid wood furniture with natural finishes. The collection is available in many furniture stores and bed shops in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
The project
Central information platform and structured processes
HOLZMANUFAKTUR was founded in 1979 as a carpentry collective with high social standards, which continues to shape the company's philosophy to this day. Open internal communication is important to the company. For example, all employees should be able to view financial information and the order book in order to gain an overview of the company's development.
Highlights
Challenge
In addition to financial information and the order book, an internal wiki is also part of the information landscape. Here, employees not only have read access, but also contribute articles and comments themselves. However, the content management system (CMS) used was too complicated for the concept of distributed authors and too cumbersome for the highly dynamic nature of the content. And the existing BI solution was only to be used in management and finance.
Bernd Lauer, managing director responsible for IT, finance and human resources, had therefore been searching for a suitable IT solution for some time. During his research, he was immediately impressed by GAPTEQ's software concept: "With the intuitively designed low-code platform, we can develop our own desired applications. GAPTEQ's fair licensing policy, combined with our Microsoft SQL databases, is exactly what we were looking for."
Solution
During testing, it became clear that GAPTEQ could be used to build a comprehensive information platform. Bernd Lauer therefore initially invested some time in developing a style guide and a framework for the HOLZMANUFAKTUR application as a template. Using a GAPTEQ template, which specifies uniform master data as selection lists, among other things, a working student with no programming knowledge was then able to consistently set up all the desired applications, including workflows and access rights, within four weeks.
The simplicity and speed of implementation surprised even experienced business IT specialist Bernd Lauer: ‘GAPTEQ is clearly designed and the development process is intuitive. We had the first modules up and running faster than expected and then simply implemented additional applications as needed.’
GAPTEQ uses a data warehouse with several Microsoft SQL servers as its data pool, where data from the Sage ERP system, QLIK and other data sources converge. Users can access the condensed information via the write-back-enabled GAPTEQ front end and also write their own posts and comments.
‘GAPTEQ is clearly laid out and development is guided intuitively. We had the first modules up and running faster than expected. Additional applications were then implemented as needed.’
Bernd Lauer, Director HOLZMANUFAKTUR
Transparent information and processes
The first applications developed were a ‘bulletin board’ for announcements and invitations and the comprehensive wiki module. An HR module is now also available, allowing employees to view their own personnel files, report changes and handle time recording, holiday requests and expense reports as part of workflows. GAPTEQ also includes a workflow for performance reviews with evaluation profiles and salary agreements.
In another module, the entire workforce can view information from the Sage ERP system, e.g. incoming orders, invoices, or customer and supplier information. The price list for the approximately 20,000 items at HOLZMANUFAKTUR is also maintained in GAPTEQ, where comments can be added. In the production area, setup plans for loading the CNC machines and, in future, the associated maintenance plans are also managed. In the finance area, the complete fixed assets and the BWA (business assessment analysis) can be viewed down to the level of individual profit centres and sales channels. Other sections include an archive, photo documentation, birthdays and company anniversaries, training and certification cycles, and suggestions for improvement.
Result
GAPTEQ has established itself as a central platform for diverse information, discussion opportunities and structured processes. The existing CMS is thus being gradually replaced as the legacy system. Thanks to its ease of use, the new information hub was quickly integrated into everyday work; GAPTEQ is now used by all employees on an almost daily basis. Bernd Lauer appreciates the high stability of the software: ‘GAPTEQ is flexible, robust and easily scalable. We will continue to develop our application.’
With the help of the standardised GAPTEQ template, new applications can now be implemented at HOLZMANUFAKTUR in just a few hours. The universally designed workflows of all applications are managed in a central control tool. Standardisation and central control ensure that all structures and content remain consistent and can be maintained efficiently in the long term, even with flexible further development.
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