QlikNews: BeneluxView

It is almost impossible to imagine that we are nearing the half year of 2008 already, yet exciting to see the development and growth of our region within the QlikCommunity. Our reseller base is now extending further east into Europe and we are currently exploring partnership opportunities in Russia.

Looking forward, QlikView 8.5 is coming very soon and in preparation we are currently finalising plans on our regional Qonnections User Conference that will take place on September 10th and 11th from our HQ in Hoofddorp, The Netherlands. I am looking forward to meeting many of our customers and partners that will be present and encourage you to “Save the Date” immediately! More information will follow. As the holiday season approaches, we wish you all a wonderful summer holiday.

Best regards,
Rogier Verheij
Vice President

Customer Spotlight: AXA Stenman

Quick Interview with Bert van Geerenstein, ICT Manager

QlikNews: Tell us about your company.

van Geerenstein: AXA builders’ hardware products are manufactured by Stenman Holland B.V. in Veenendaal, an organisation with a long and rich history that goes back to 1902. Over the years, AXA has built up a strong name in the field of security products. The selection of AXA builders’ hardware includes hinges, casement stays, window fasteners and door furniture (including security hardware). In addition to the builders’ hardware, Stenman Holland BV is also a producer of bicycle accessories sold under the brand names axa and basta. The selection of bicycle accessories includes bicycle locks (ring locks, cables, U-locks), dynamos, front lights and rear lights. Stenman Holland also provides high-quality door locks with protective locking systems under the brand name ASSA.

QlikNews: What makes your business intelligent?
van Geerenstein: Stenman Holland is focusing more and more on the possibilities of business intelligence to perform better and quicker analysis of its business. This, instead of the traditional way of producing huge computer-generated reports which most of the time are out of date the moment business users receive the reports.

QlikNews: Describe the impact of QlikView on your business.
van Geerenstein: QlikView was implemented very fast in our organisation. After a three-day Proof of Concept and a short education, we were sure about this software and quickly started developing our own QlikView models. Several business disciplines already can find the necessary information in these models and most of the huge computer-generated reports have been withdrawn from the organisation. Now, quicker analyses are possible at the time the user needs it without assistance from the IT department. QlikView lets us work smarter, quicker and more efficiently.

QlikNews: What was you QlikView “Uncontrollable Smile” moment?
van Geerenstein: When we could show our finance department a QlikView model for production difference analysis with all of the dimensions they wished to analyze. We knew that this department was using a similar model in MS-Excel in a very limited way, but Excel could not deliver all the figures that they wanted and needed. QlikView gave them everything they already had with multiple spreadsheets in one view, and more!

QlikNews: Without QlikView, AXA Stenman…
van Geerenstein: Would require a lot more time to answer business questions that always arise, delaying business response and impacting performance management. With the QlikView models that we already developed, we know that many of these questions will be answered in a very fast way. Without QlikView and the experience and knowledge we already built, our decision-making capabilities would be as less efficient as they were in the past.

Partner Spotlight: CTAC

Insights from Hans Slaghuis, Managing Partner

Ctac is an ICT services provider specialising in SAP solutions. Activities include implementation, integration and management of SAP systems and related activities such as system upgrades and system optimisations. The company is a SAP Gold Partner and the largest SAP reseller for medium-size enterprises in the Netherlands. Ctac’s clients include approximately 200 organisations in trade and industry, business services, retail, (semi) government organisations and universities.

QlikNews: Why did you choose to be Powered by QlikView?
Slaghuis: There is a very low threshold to be powered by Qlikview. It's a joy to work with QlikView, and seeing such quick results with a Business Intelligence tool is a totally new experience for us. Not only does QlikView make analysis simple and transparent, but Qliktech as an organization highly values simplicity as well. The tool and organization show the same strength.

QlikNews: What does QlikView mean to your business?
Slaghuis: The QlikView solution is an important addition to the possibilities Ctac offers in the field of Business Intelligence. We are now also able to provide small and medium-sized businesses with an advanced solution that can be deployed immediately without expensive and lengthy training programs. With Qlikview, we can start working with the end user in a very early stage of the implementation. Our customers learn to work with Business Intelligence in a very associative way. QlikView makes easy analysis possible. This allows many more people within our customers' businesses to better understand their areas of responsibility and contribute more to improving overall business performance.

QlikNews: What is your unique “selling point” with QlikView?
Slaghuis: We have several depending on the industry. In retail, for example, Ctac will work with QlikTech to develop a special template to allow retail companies to quickly produce advanced analyses and reports. This will improve their decision-making, for instance, in the areas of product launches and purchasing. As specialists in SAP solutions, we think that we can further develop the link between SAP (BW) and QlikView, particularly in the industries we serve.

Events in Benelux, Eastern Europe, Israel and Turkey

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QlikView Training

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