"With Ed Controls, you won't miss a thing."
Brands Bouw has been using Ed Controls for a long time. Bruins: “We use it for initial assessments (baseline measurements) to final delivery in renovation projects, for recordings for calculations, and to document various inspections. We undertake numerous projects where we bear the design responsibility. For this, we must document and ensure the quality of construction. Ed Controls allows us to digitize audits and questionnaires and provide them as a ‘package’ to the supervisors. This way, they are well-prepared and can immediately document the necessary proof.”
Family Business Brands Bouw
Family business Brands Bouw is located in Emmen and Groningen in the Netherlands and is celebrating its eighty-fifth anniversary this year. They call themselves a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ because they are very versatile and can easily switch between different sectors. William Bruins is a commercial planning preparer and KVGM coordinator at Brands Bouw for both locations. He mainly focuses on project preparation, tenders, and quality management for ISO certifications and safety matters. “We build houses, sports complexes, school buildings, residential care complexes, and apartments for housing corporations,” says Bruins. “Small construction and maintenance and service work are also part of our service package, which is why we often work with regular partners. Currently, we are working on many projects in earthquake-prone areas in the province of Groningen, including demolition/new construction projects of houses and the reinforcement and repair of buildings with earthquake damage.”
Project Creation and Monitoring
Brands Bouw has been using Ed Controls for a long time. Bruins: “We use it for initial assessments (baseline measurements) to final delivery in renovation projects, for recordings for calculations, and to document various inspections. We undertake numerous projects where we bear the design responsibility. For this, we must document and ensure the quality of construction. Ed Controls allows us to digitize audits and questionnaires and provide them as a ‘package’ to the supervisors. This way, they are well-prepared and can immediately document the necessary proof.”
Bruins as the Main User
Bruins is the main user himself. “This means that I create and monitor projects and act as an internal point of contact. I also regularly train colleagues in using Ed Controls, sometimes in small groups, sometimes one-on-one, whatever is convenient. More and more people see the convenience and added value, so it is really spreading like wildfire within Brands. This enthusiasm means we are making quick progress and constantly discovering new functionalities together. Even colleagues who are less tech-savvy are becoming convinced of the benefits.”
Benefits for BKT Work
When asked for a concrete application, Bruins says: “For BKT work (bathroom/kitchen/toilet renovation), a contact moment with the tenant before a renovation project generally ensures that the process runs more smoothly. During such a ‘warm assessment,’ we go through the process with the tenant and often a supervisor from a housing corporation using a template in Ed Controls. We note if there is any damage, unforeseen situations, logistics or safety issues, and other particulars. This way, there are no surprises at the start of the work, neither for the tenant nor for us. It is also handy that you can enter numerical values, such as the number of faucets or toilets, the number of square meters of tiles per house, or for the entire project. This automatically creates a sort of order list that we can forward to suppliers. This greatly facilitates work preparation.”
The Impact of Ed Controls
Since the supervisors at Brands Bouw were already familiar with Ed Controls, they could quickly implement the system in new projects. Bruins: “In the Emmen region, we are part of a local group with several parties, including the municipality. I always mention how we do it, and it certainly happens that a party then also chooses Ed Controls. This makes collaboration even easier. Bruins notes that clients appreciate Brands Bouw using Ed Controls. “It sets us apart from other construction companies. Clients are enthusiastic when we involve them in the process and show how we document things and at what point we do this. In reinforcement projects, structural engineers are also added to the project. They can then see how we execute the work and issue the compliance declaration based on our ticket reports. The data we document can also be used in our as-built files. This saves a lot of time.
Quotes for Residential Construction
“The great thing about Ed Controls is that you can’t overlook anything, and the system also serves as an archive. We see that the use of Ed Controls continues to develop within our company, and colleagues who work externally keep coming up with new proposals and ideas. We really couldn’t do without it anymore,” he concludes with a smile.
