Faes Carrosserie has grown considerably in recent years: it has evolved from a one-man business to an SME with 20 employees. By specialising in the repair of commercial vehicles, it is one of the top 5 of the largest bodyshops in Belgium, a position that the Boechout-based company wants to maintain by focusing on craftsmanship, efficiency and modern equipment. Distinctive factors in which IT plays an important role.

More and more dependent on IT

IT infrastructure has to grow with the company, and this is a message they have understood very well at Faes Carrosserie. Luc van Eyndhoven (Manager) looks back: "Until 10 years ago, 'the network' consisted of a number of PCs that were managed by someone internally 'who knew a thing or two about them', a situation that became unsustainable at the beginning of the digital era. Through an acquaintance, we were brought into contact with VanRoey.be and we decided to invest in a physical HP server".

As administration, communication and new working methods are increasingly dependent on IT, SMEs are obliged to invest in sophisticated IT infrastructure, including Faes Carrosserie, which is why the company decided to switch to the cloud at the beginning of 2018. Luc van Eyndhoven explains this choice: "Our server had had its best time after 7 years of loyal service, and instead of re-investing in a physical server, VanRoey.be offered me a proposal for their SmartStart Care formula, which combines an outsourcing formula with Microsoft Azure, specifically for SMEs. Thanks to the specialists at Faes Carrosserie, this formula is now available.

"I can recommend it to any SME."

From quotations and planning to time registration and warehouse services, everything is tracked digitally, which is a real comfort for the people on the shop floor: "Even the paintwork for the cars is weighed using an innovative computer scale per gram, so that we can correctly invoice the customer and orders are automatically placed when necessary. We now enjoy a digital convenience that we can no longer afford to miss, and I can advise every SME to do the same".