DYNAMICS 365

Dynamics 365 F&O BR2 successfully launched at Bouwmaat

Agerion IT Testmanagement Projectmanagement Bouwmaat

Highway billboards, radio commercials, ads in bus shelters: building materials wholesaler Bouwmaat is making its presence known. The fresh new slogan ‘Bouwmaat werkt voor je’ (‘Bouwmaat works for you’) is clearly being embraced internally as well. For years, tireless efforts have gone into a large-scale ERP implementation of Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations. A positive development for both Bouwmaat employees and customers.

From vision to execution

The outdated ERP solution at Bouwmaat proved less suitable in 2019 for supporting the company’s growth and modernization ambitions—an important movement within the organization. Over the past few years, the project team, supported by the broader organization, has made tremendous efforts to redesign and streamline business processes and translate them into a robust new ERP solution. Agerion IT colleagues Laura van Oudheusden-Frerichs and Edwin Rozema also contributed to this process in the areas of project management, test management, and test coordination.

Understanding the Bouwmaat organization

This extensive process began with the discovery phase, during which current processes were thoroughly analyzed. In the subsequent solution modeling phase, ERP solutions were defined by establishing solution designs that aligned with Bouwmaat’s needs and fit within the framework of the new ERP system. For each main topic, requirements were carefully defined, enabling the technical and functional design of necessary integrations and corresponding test cases.

Edwin Rozema: “At one point, I took over the project from my colleague Laura van Oudheusden and conducted a deep dive into the organization over the course of three weeks. By now, I can name practically every person and system, what they do, why they’re needed, and how they interconnect. From a test and project management perspective, it was incredibly valuable to work toward the finish line together with these insights.”

“You can tell that all colleagues are deeply committed to the organization and work out every detail meticulously. That makes an ERP implementation like this not only hard work but also highly successful.”

Edwin Rozema, Agerion IT B.V.

Thorough testing as a foundation

“One of the key success factors was testing. Based on the designed processes, extensive test cases were developed that included all variations encountered in daily operations,” Edwin explains. “All test cases were translated into concrete test steps and compiled into test suites. These suites covered a wide range of test types: functional and technical unit tests, end-to-end (chain) tests, production acceptance tests, performance tests, authorization tests, reporting tests, data migration tests, smoke tests for new environment deployments, and of course, regression tests to ensure everything still worked after changes were made.”

Tight deadlines made achievable by committed teams

These tests were carried out per workgroup, led by dedicated workgroup leaders in Finance, Logistics, and Technology. Throughout the process, test results were actively monitored and issues carefully documented—including a lighthearted “Bug of the Week” to bring some humor to the intense work. Together with implementation partner HSO and other external parties, findings were prioritized and resolved. At the same time, strict control was maintained over deadlines and blocking issues to ensure each subsequent phase could start smoothly.

Go-live with minimal disruptions

Thanks to the joint efforts of everyone involved, the Business Release in 2023 was followed this week by the successful go-live of Business Release 2, with minimal disruptions. Every issue was handled professionally, resulting in a stable, data-driven environment at Bouwmaat. Edwin: “We are truly proud of what we’ve achieved as a team. This go-live is a tangible result of years of dedication. Thanks to everyone who contributed, Bouwmaat can now move forward with confidence.”

The aftercare

In the aftercare phase, Edwin continues to play a monitoring role and is already preparing for the upcoming OneVersion tests (new Dynamics 365 version) by compiling, planning, and outlining the approach. And as for the project team? “Once there’s room again, I think the organization will further optimize peripheral applications and processes, and invest more time in new developments like AI and the personal growth of employees. The foundation has been laid—now it’s time to build further. In other words: Bouwmaat truly works for you.”