The Karhof Success Story

Transitioning to Merkato

The Karhof company has been active in bodywork construction since 1938. Since then, it has grown into one of the largest bodywork companies, with two branches in the Netherlands, namely Purmerend and Nieuw-Vennep. Karhof is part of the combination group of bodywork brewers. Karhof has been using Merkato software for two years.

Gert-Jan Karhof spoke about his experiences with Merkato. Together with his cousin, Gert-Jan followed in his grandfather’s footsteps as general manager of the family business. Gert-Jan himself was responsible for the implementation of the configurator.

“When I received an email two years ago explaining Merkato, I was very enthusiastic. We had another system for submitting quotations for ten years, but it was becoming outdated, causing increasing problems. We sought flexibility, and Quootz was able to offer that. They demonstrated this directly to us during the first meeting in such a convincing and simple way that it convinced me to purchase the software. I didn’t consider other providers after that,” says Gert-Jan.

Streamlining Operations: Benefits of Flexibility

“You can link Merkato to your work preparation and such, but that wasn’t my primary objective. The flexibility appealed to me, and that’s why I bought Merkato. Flexibility is ingrained in the system, making it accessible. Entering product knowledge can be done by the company with minimal training, and the information can be maintained easily and quickly. You don’t have to be a programmer to work with Merkato. Our old system was cluttered with too many options. In Merkato, the information is now much better organized and user-friendly.

“We have many options in our products that don’t go together. The power of Merkato is that it makes conflicting configurations impossible. As a result, incorrect orders no longer enter the company, saving us a lot of time. The orders are then easier to produce. This logic and intelligence were absent in our old system.”

Challenges and Triumphs

“Regrettably, the implementation of the configurator was delayed due to competing priorities. Although the initial setup was quick, my attention was divided as our old system remained operational. While I received excellent personal assistance with the import process, I realize now that I should have allocated dedicated time for the implementation.”

“Now that it’s complete, I look forward to increased collaboration within the company, streamlining our operations. Ideally, our dealers would utilize Merkato directly, eliminating the need for manual quotations. With its standard options, Merkato is ready for this transition, awaiting deployment.”

Appreciation for Merkato: User-Friendly and Flexible Solutions

“Merkato is an impressive system, and I continue to be amazed by its flexibility. Whenever I encountered an issue with the software, the problems were promptly resolved. This is likely due to the skillful programmers who have developed the system to be highly adaptable.

In my experience, Merkato is exceptionally user-friendly, web-based, and up-to-date, making it easily accessible. Importing old data from Excel or our previous system is also straightforward.

Furthermore, working with Quootz has been enjoyable and rewarding. I highly recommend it!”