The exponential rise in technology in just the past few years may seem overwhelming. The drive to keep up with the Joneses can make businesses, large and small, feel like failure or obsolescence is forever snapping at their heels.
In fact, technological advancements offer simplicity to companies willing to embrace what’s new. Used effectively, technology is an enabler for growth and Arribatec Group EVP Tom Vandezande says simplification should be the goal, however complex the means.
“We’re a trusted advisor and we try to offer our customers the best solution,” he tells The CEO Magazine. “In essence, we’re a consulting services and software solutions company, and we collaborate closely with all our partners to achieve our goals.”
“Collaboration is a great starting point for an implementation because it reduces cost, risk and time to value.”
A leading enterprise resource consultant, Arribatec Group provides robust enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions that serve as powerful core engines for clients across a range of industries and creates value-added solutions to meet vertical-specific or country-specific legislative requirements. Partners including Unit4, RamBase, SAP, Prophix and Microsoft have ensured it is able to offer cutting-edge digital solutions that last.
“The reason we have these key partnerships is because we think they’re the best products in the market. We constantly evaluate what’s out there,” Vandezande says.
“Various solutions make up a customer’s business system landscape. Consequently, in our aim to offer our customers the best possible and a more holistic solution, we combine and integrate the people-centric Unit4 ERP system with other best-in-class tools, like a financial planning and analysis, consolidation or corporate performance management solution.”
Arribatec Group also offers its own in-house software development to ensure no job is too big, and has created best-of-breed solutions for research institutes and apprentice management.
“If a customer has a particular issue or process they want to automate, we can specify it, develop it and maintain it. And of course, we integrate our software with any ERP system,” he explains.
The big picture
Arribatec Group also has its own cloud and management consulting business, which means that it is not only able to help customers with key business systems, but can also advise on the infrastructure side of things and facilitate digital transformation and related business process change.
“Effectively, we operate on the intersection of technology, process and people, covering all the angles. System integrators and consultants typically manage one or two, but not many do all three,” Vandezande says.
The three operate in lockstep, an advent that speaks to the constant change going on in the industry. No longer do ERP implementations start with extensive requirements gathering and process mapping exercises, he points out.
“With a modern cloud ERP solution, in which many good practices are embedded, it’s more effective for the technology, process and people/change streams to run in parallel,” he adds.
This way, there’s no disconnect.
“Work on the processes happens at the same rate as system implementation and the technology aspect. That’s a key differentiator for Arribatec.”
Partner perks
The company’s partnership with Unit4 is key to offering the best to clients, according to Vandezande.
“We may not be the biggest company to partner with Unit4, but we are the company with the largest Unit4 practice and customer base globally,” he says.
It works closely with Unit4 to enhance its product and create add-ons to meet vertical or country-specific requirements, a process fueled by the years of international experience accumulated within the Arribatec team.
“Collaboration is a great starting point for an implementation because it reduces cost, risk and time to value,” he notes. “We know we’re stronger together.”
“We operate on the intersection of technology, process and people.”
Vandezande says another key point of difference is the way Arribatec Group offers that solution.
“We call it engagement management. We’re very close to our customers, so we want to be trusted advisors, engage with them early on and guide them through every step of their transformation journey, both on the project delivery and account management side of things,” he confirms.
“When you’re responsible for a customer, it should be an all-encompassing thing. It’s very reassuring for the customer to have a single point of contact who knows exactly their situation and can help, and not someone who only shows up when there is something to be sold.
“Whether it’s short, medium or long-term, embarking on an Arribatec digital transformation program yields tangible benefits for our customers.”
