The ERP project that made Konings work differently

Co-creation

Cegeka proposed working with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management — a cloud-first, scalable solution. For the customs issue, they chose a creative approach. While other partners considered a third-party module, Cegeka suggested co-creation.
“We formed a joint venture. Together, we built a solution for customs and excise duties,” says Joris.

Fluctuating Volumes

The migration from Microsoft Navision to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Supply Chain Management brought tangible improvements.
“Our data is richer and more transparent, giving us greater insight into our processes,” says Joris. This way, Konings gains more control over the supply chain, from start to finish.

Automation also replaced a lot of manual work. The result: fewer errors, more transparency, and better control. Finally, the cloud provided Konings with the scalability it needed.
“If we ever need more processing power, the cloud allows for that too.” For a company with fluctuating volumes, that’s crucial.

Ideal Test Case

Konings deliberately chose not to go for a big bang implementation. Instead, the brand-new factory in Genk (on the former Ford site) was the first to go live.
“A site like that is the ideal test case because you’re not confronted with legacy systems or old habits,” says Stefanie Laeveren, Business Development Manager at Cegeka.
Zonhoven followed afterward, and Breda is next. The full migration is expected to be completed by 2027.

A New Way of Working

During the project, Konings realized that new technology also impacts the organization. They were inspired by how Cegeka organized their teams.

“We used the transition as an opportunity to rethink our way of working as well,” says Joris. They decided to assign their own employees roles similar to those of Cegeka’s team members. This led to the creation of duos working together.

The idea: for every Cegeka expert, there’s a Konings employee sitting beside them. This way, Konings’ people learn everything they need to know. That knowledge and those roles stay within Konings — even after the project is completed.

Listening More

“I don’t see any difference between Cegeka’s external people and our own team,” says Peter. “There was never any finger-pointing. It was always: okay, we have this problem — how are we going to solve it?”

But Peter is also honest about what could have gone better.
“Sometimes we were too focused on holding on to our old ways of working instead of letting the new system do its job. Sometimes, it helps to just listen a bit more.”

His biggest lesson? Stick to the agreements.
“If you agree on a methodology, you have to stick to it. Cegeka introduced working in waves and sprints.”
In other words: making progress in small steps, with regular check-ins.
“We’re now applying that approach to other projects as well,” says Peter.