MARKET LEADER IN WALL DECORATION

Grandeco Wallfashion Group Belgium is one of the largest producers of wall decorations in the world. In Tielt, once the heart of the Belgian textile industry, they produce not only their own collections but also wallpaper for private labels. This accounts for a production of more than 13 million rolls per year. Thanks to a number of recent acquisitions, the supply continues to increase. Grandeco collaborates with distributors in over 88 countries and has 6 sales offices in Belgium, France, Great Britain, Poland, Russia, and Germany.

COMPLEX CREATION PROCESS

When Koen Callewaert started working at Grandeco in 2018, the creative department was using a bespoke software programme. “Because the supplier decided to no longer support the package, we had to look for a new system,” says the Creative & Technical Design Manager. It was not an easy search, as Grandeco's creative process is quite complex. “This is the fourth company I have worked for, and I have never known it to be this complicated,” he explains with a laugh.

“In short, it comes down to the fact that we develop our products from design to when they are ready for production. During this (long) process, all related data is stored in the programme in a way that takes into account the lowest possible error burden. We also add various metadata: who bought it and when, how much it cost, what type of design it is, … This ensures optimal traceability and a solid foundation for establishing KPIs. The same was therefore expected from the new system.”

BUILDING ON THE EXISTING PROCESS

Conics was tasked with replacing the old system with a new, better solution for Grandeco. “Crucial for us was that we could build upon the existing process, as we had invested a significant amount of time in it. This way, our people would not have to learn to work with something new ‘from scratch’, and would therefore be more motivated to get started. They were also all given the opportunity to contribute ideas for possible new functionalities,” said Koen.

Annelies Gruyaert, Project Manager at Conics, interjects: “We knew that the process is complex and, moreover, very well understood by the Grandeco employee. So we faced a difficult balancing act: to develop new software that closely aligns with the process and the existing operations, while also offering new possibilities and optimised functionalities. This led us to the current solution, which we believe works in a user-friendly and intuitive manner.”

"We were therefore faced with a difficult balancing act: to develop new software that closely aligns with the process and the existing operations, while also offering new possibilities and optimised functionalities."

Annelies Gruyaert
Project Consultant of Conics

FASTER AND MORE USER-FRIENDLY

The Conics solution, called Creator, has been in use since March 2023. “We can now work much faster and more efficiently,” say Volha Khaletskaya & Inge Witdouck, both active in the Creation Services team. They are impressed by the user-friendliness of the system. “All our colleagues can quickly get started: five minutes of ‘trying’ and they know what to do, how to do it: a big difference from the previous system. Back then, much more time was needed to train colleagues. Many tasks that had to be done manually then are now automated, and we all see that as a positive change.”

“We do not see this programme merely as a tool to work with, but also as a large database of all the information we have about our products and processes. It is linked to other (workflow) systems in the company, and there are many possibilities for further integrations,” says Volha. “We have not been working with Creator for long, but we can already see that there is a lot of potential in it,” confirms Koen. “What I also find interesting is that we can assign different roles to different users. This allows us to give people from production access to designs, for example, so they can provide feedback without being able to make changes themselves. This leads to better and more pleasant collaboration between all parties.”

"Many tasks that used to be done manually now happen automatically, and we all perceive that as a positive change."

Volha Khaletskaya & Inge Witdouck
Creation Services Team

CHOICE FOR FLEXIBILITY AND PERSONAL CONTACT

One of the Grandeco suppliers put them in touch with Conics. “Of all the companies we spoke to, the people at Conics were the most convincing. They have a lot of experience in our sector, and from the very beginning, we felt that they perfectly understood our needs. We also felt a strong human connection; perhaps their no-nonsense mentality played a part in that,” says Koen. 
“The fact that Conics is quite a small company also gave us a lot of confidence. This allows for more personal contact and enables quicker and more flexible adjustments. Moreover, I immediately saw opportunities for new projects in the future.”

SMOOTH COLLABORATION WITH FUTURE PERSPECTIVE

Koen is very satisfied with the collaboration between Grandeco and Conics. “Conics is currently processing the very last comments from the scope. But we already have further plans. From the feedback we receive from our team, we determine the priorities and present them to Conics. They listen to our ideas, questions, and needs, and then propose a possible expansion or adjustment. The advantage is that we can gradually expand the system at our own pace. It grows along with our company: I see it as a solid foundation for the future. From what I hear from colleagues in other companies in our sector, we are already quite advanced. So we can be proud of what we have,” concludes Koen.

Conics' managing director Dries Maerten agrees: "We can certainly be proud of the people who have driven the project, both at Conics and at Grandeco. You may have all the knowledge and methodology in the world, but if the people are not on board with the story, it won't succeed. I also feel that we are on the same page as Grandeco and I look forward to our continued collaboration."