Köster Group replaces Excel solution with GAPTEQ

Digitisation of business processes in all departments.

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The client

Since 1982, KÖSTER BAUCHEMIE AG has specialised in waterproofing systems and is now present in over 70 countries worldwide.

The project

Digitisation of business processes in all departments.

The KÖSTER Group is taking the digitalisation of its business processes into its own hands. Step by step, more and more Excel solutions are being replaced by GAPTEQ. Instead of the time-consuming management of individual Excel sheets, users now work together in a smart web environment based on a shared database.

Highlights

Replacement of Excel spreadsheets in all areas of the company

Quality management system developed and maintained in the specialist department

Development of additional applications as required

Quick and easy implementation of new web applications

Intuitive operation, no training required for specialist users

Step-by-step digitisation of a wide variety of processes

Flexible mapping of company-specific requirements

Challenge

The internal IT department is driving forward the digitalisation of the group of companies. One of the most important starting points here is the replacement of numerous Excel spreadsheets. When the quality assurance department approached the IT department with a corresponding request, the latter already had the right IT solution for a new quality management system (QMS) in mind: Hendrik Evertz, IT administrator at KÖSTER, had already worked with the cloud-based software GAPTEQ at his previous job. In his view, an easy-to-use web interface for data entry, data retrieval and visualisation of database content was the best solution for the department.

Solution

Hendrik Evertz passed on his expertise regarding the tool directly to the department: a brief introduction by a QA employee on how to use SQL databases and the low-code platform GAPTEQ was sufficient. The new system was then set up and put into operation without any problems. The first version was created in record time and has since been maintained independently by the department and continuously developed in line with its technical requirements. The IT department is only called upon for support in the event of questions or exceptional cases.

QS employees, most of whom are chemists, use the QMS on a daily basis, for example to enter measurement values from production. If limit values are exceeded, the software warns with a visual display. Corresponding process-controlled tests, calculations and analyses are stored in GAPTEQ.

Following this initial major success, the IT department implemented further modules with GAPTEQ. These include:

Inventory of IT hardware in the company

A returns management system for documenting goods subject to complaint in goods receipt, with automatic email notification to sales.

Inventory management that manages equipment loaned to customers, manages the ordering process for spare parts, and finally provides a workshop report.

Result

Hendrik Evertz sees the rapid development of new applications as a key advantage of GAPTEQ. Where Excel used to be the standard solution, GAPTEQ now allows individual database-based web applications to be created without major project effort. Thanks to its simple and cost-efficient implementation, switching from Excel to GAPTEQ is worthwhile even for small applications such as IT inventory management.

‘GAPTEQ is the ideal tool for us to replace Excel spreadsheets and drive digitalisation within the company.’

Hendrik Evertz, IT Administrator at KÖSTER

At KÖSTER, Excel sheets and other solutions are gradually being replaced by the web platform. Initiatives and ideas come from both the IT department and the specialist departments. For Hendrik Evertz, this approach is a rigorous path to digitalisation that is geared towards the daily requirements of the company.

Another key factor in the software's success within the company is its intuitive operation. The GAPTEQ environment has been well received by users. No training is necessary. Process control and calculations run in the background and are managed by IT. However, as the example of the QMS shows, even more complex applications can be placed entirely in the hands of the specialist department. KÖSTER thus has a flexible tool for advancing digitalisation at its own pace through flexible cooperation between IT and specialist departments.

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