Koning Koudetechniek strengthens control over its growth with Odoo
Koning Koudetechniek designs, builds, and installs custom refrigeration systems for a wide range of applications. From large-scale cold storage for fruit and vegetables to heating and cooling industrial spaces and retail environments. With projects that often run to tight deadlines and service work that has immediate impact on customers, there’s no room for error. However, with continued growth came increasing pressure on structure and visibility. With Odoo as their new backbone and 360 ERP as their partner, Koning Koudetechniek moved from multiple systems and Excel files to one integrated way of working.
Highlights
Real-time overview of maintenance contracts
The Subscriptions module gives continuous insight into the status, duration, and follow-up of all maintenance contracts, enabling proactive planning and service continuity.
Real-time project status without Excel
All checklists and progress are managed in the Projects module – ensuring up-to-date insight into dozens of ongoing projects is always available.
Direct insight into project costs
Automatically generated cost centers per project are directly linked to real-time costs and margins, giving instant control over results and deviations.
Service, projects, and finance in one system
Real-time cost visibility and automatic margin calculations are now available across the entire process.
One single source of truth
All departments work in the same system, making information and task ownership instantly visible and reducing miscommunication.
Real-time insights via Power BI
A single real-time sales dashboard combines CRM and Finance data for faster, better decision-making.
Structure across the entire organization
Every department works with the same tasks, phases, and activities.
Full service flow in Odoo
From service requests and work orders to planning and execution, Odoo's Field Service app ensures faster response times and better customer support.
Strong foundation for automation and AI
The open platform is ready for integrations, insights, and future development.
Outgrowing custom software and Excel
For over thirteen years, Koning Koudetechniek was working with a custom-built ERP system. It worked for a period, but could not support the next stage of growth. “We had multiple systems running alongside each other, which created a lot of manual work,” says Marlijn de Koning, who is responsible for IT. “Separate finance systems meant automatic margin calculations just weren't possible.” On top of that, the system had reached the end of its lifecycle. "It was no longer being developed and that kind of thing eventually catches up with you, making AI and integrations difficult." And then there was the issue of Excel. “It worked, but you can’t build a growing company on it.”
Complexity as a daily reality
The challenge wasn’t just technical, it was also operational. “We run a lot of projects at the same time – most of them with hard deadlines. Whether it’s retail, industrial, or any other environment, installations need to be up and running on time. Delay is not an option.” On top of that, there’s service and maintenance. “If we don’t handle that properly, everything stops for the customer. The dependency is huge, so we need tight control.” Projects, service, field engineers, procurement, planning – everything is interconnected.
The search for a system: start with your own processes
Before choosing a system, Koning Koudetechniek mapped out all of its internal processes, taking care to involve every department. “You can choose the best system out there, but without internal buy-in, it won’t work. That involvement makes the difference.” A key insight from Marjolijn: “Many companies choose an ERP without really understanding their own processes first. That’s a trap.” Koning Koudetechniek nearly opted for a custom set-up again. “At first, we thought no standard system would fit us. But in the end, the real question is: how can we adapt our processes to fit the system?”
Why Odoo and 360 ERP
For Koning Koudetechniek, the decision to choose Odoo was an easy one “It's user-friendly, flexible, affordable, and open. That openness was important for us. We didn’t want to end up in another closed system.” Choosing to work with 360 ERP was just as deliberate. “The way they work stood out to us: short, iterative, and no endless projects.” And perhaps most importantly: “They’re honest. They don’t just say yes to everything. They challenge you.”
When pushback pays off
The collaboration started with a clear direction but also some pushback. “We came in with planning as our top priority but 360 ERP said: park that for now and focus on the core processes.” That turned out to be exactly what was needed. “They didn’t just say yes, they challenged us. That kind of stubbornness is a good sign.” The proof: “They created a roadmap based on just one Excel file. That’s when you think: okay, they know what they’re doing.”
Structure as the biggest win
What is the main thing that Odoo has delivered? Structure. “That’s the biggest win for me,” says Marlijn. “ Now every department works with tasks, phases, and activities. Every task has an owner.” That creates transparency. “Now, during meetings, we just open Odoo and we can move forward. There's no ambiguity anymore.”
Implementation is just the beginning
After going live with Finance and Service, things started to move quickly. “People across the business immediately saw how practical Odoo is. And everyone wanted to be part of the roll-out.” We quickly took steps to involve Project Management, CRM and e-Learning. “That e-Learning module? We built it in Odoo with just a few hours of work. Our previous solution cost us €10,000 per year.”
Next up? “We are currently working on the 2BA procurement integration. That will give us even more control over costs and lead times.” And on the service side: We will soon be able to see our service vans in real time, linked to open tickets. That will help us act even faster.
Thinking in Odoo
What stands out most is the way in which we now approach new challenges. “We always ask: can we do this in Odoo?” Even employee development is managed inside the system. “We built that internally, without custom development. Personal development is a key priority for us.”
Working as colleagues
At every step, the collaboration with 360 ERP has felt natural. “They fit in great with our culture. They're doers. They're a bit stubborn. But when they say they'll do something – you can count on them to do it.” What makes them different? “They hold up a mirror and I think you need that.” Plus their approach is really refreshing: “Don’t over-engineer everything upfront. Improve along the way.”
Keep building
The full roadmap for Koning Koudetechniek is far from finished. Next steps include working on:
- production processes
- logistics processes
- Power BI insights across departments
AI is also on the horizon: “We’re going to test a custom AI module from 360 ERP inside Odoo.” And that’s a big deal. “The fact that 360 ERP builds their own AI solutions shows they’re just as innovative as we are.”
Strengthening control over growth
Koning Koudetechniek is still in the middle of the journey with Odoo, but the impact is already clear. “We get better insights much faster. That saves time, improves efficiency, and makes work more enjoyable.” And because Odoo is an open platform: “We already benefit from better insights during the project itself. Plus now CRM and Finance are together, giving us a real-time sales dashboard.” KK has also made those insights visible across the company: “We show them on screens in the office. That makes it tangible for everyone and creates a shared drive to keep improving.” And throughout the whole journey, one thing remains key: “Adoption. New steps only work if people embrace them.”
No matter where you’re starting from, we’ll help you scale
Book a meeting and find out how we can structure and streamline your processes with Odoo.
