Kronsteingruppen AS is the largest supplier of contractor services and building materials in the region. In such a large company, it is absolutely necessary to have systems that facilitate the future. Both to be able to work in the smartest and most efficient way, and so that cross-functional collaboration works optimally. There is only one place – in the cloud.

– We were going where we are on our way now, says accounting manager Kim Vevle.

The motivation for moving up to the cloud was to collect everything on one platform, so that all employees in the entire group could get a better overview, and with it control over the various work processes.

– We wanted to collect everything on one platform and upgrade the systems, in order to be future-oriented. We don’t want to sit and work in ancient times. We want systems that make everyday life easier for those who work in it, and that it should be easier in the organization in general, continues Vevle.

At the top of operational controller Katja B. Olsen’s wish list was a web-based solution. During her 7 years in the Kronstein Group, she has experienced frustration with servers and citrix solutions, where integrations do not work optimally.

– We needed a modern and holistic financial solution that could provide better support for the group system and reporting. Before, we had our own servers on which the accounting system was run, but then fewer and fewer systems were run on these. We wanted to move away from Citrix solutions and become web-based, she says.

The Kronstein group has spent a lot of time compiling figures and reports in connection with the annual accounts. They have obtained figures and information for the entire organisation, which have then been stitched together into an overall group account in Excel.

– It goes much too slowly. It is not possible to manage the company where we want with Excel, when we sit and wait for the final result, says Vevle.

Vevle and his colleagues have a clear expectation to streamline the reporting processes with the reporting tool OneStop Reporting and further analysis with Power BI.

Cloud-based solutions with Visma have become the new facet for the Kronstein Group.

Kim Vevle moved home to Sortland after 20 years of experience from other places. He therefore joined the Kronstein group in the middle of the transition to Vismas.net ERP. He has worked in many different solutions in the past, and was prepared that he would have to familiarize himself with and learn new systems, and at the same time change his work routines. He had heard a lot of bad feedback about, among other things, Visma Financials in his previous job, and was prepared that it would be challenging to familiarize himself with Visma.net ERP. However, it has exceeded all expectations.

– I am pleasantly surprised by how Visma.net ERP works on a daily basis. We also hope to adopt the group module, which will help us connect and simplify reporting further. he says.

The Kronstein Group is on a straight path in the right direction, namely to summarize correct figures in automated reporting processes – and collect everything in a consolidated group report. Vevle will then be able to use the reporting as an analysis tool at all times and further monitor which deviations occur and where they experience the deviations.

Hanssen says that he is also very excited about the project overview and the reports you can pull out to see how projects are going at any given time.

– It is very clear with the various modules. We get reports that we can take out all the time and see how things are going. Everything gathered in one place, says Hanssen.

They are still not quite there, but are continuously working on developing the systems, and are well on their way.

– Today we use a combination of both Excel and the systems, but we want to get to where all the information is in the systems, so that we can get rid of Excel completely, says Vevle.

Vevle works as accounting manager for the entire group and has an important job in providing service to all the subsidiaries, and internally where there is a need. He is completely dependent on having a clear overview and control over the accounts for several companies, at the same time.

Vevle feels that finding all the necessary information on a single platform is the biggest advantage of Visma.net ERP. Rather than logging into countless programs to get an overview of the various companies, he can now log into one and the same tool, and choose which module he will work in.

– I am very much in favor of the visma.net world having many systems that are linked together, and that we do away with all the external integrations. Everything must work as smoothly and seamlessly as possible, and it does now with both Payroll, expense, calendar and SmartDok, says Vevle.

General manager of ByggTeam Hadsel AS, Håkon Hanssen works to a greater extent project-based and works with planning new projects, often 1-5 years ahead. For him, it is also absolutely essential to have a clear and good overview.

In the past, Hanssen and his team have created invoice bases, forwarded them to the group, before they have sent out the invoices. In such a process it is easy to lose track. Regardless of how close you are to the accounts, it is reassuring to have control over the work processes you are involved in. The cloud-based systems facilitate that those who need insight get it. Hanssen feels that this greatly simplifies everyday life.

Operations controller Olsen is close to the financial aspect of the construction companies. She says that the most important thing in the transition phase for her role in the transition phase was that there should be functioning integration in Visma.

– We use several tools, such as SmartDok and byggoffice, and it was important to us that functioning integrations were retained for us within the contractor companies. We have found a sensible boundary between different tools. Once you find something that works, you shouldn’t start changing it just for the sake of changing it, says Olsen.

With several automated processes, it has also simplified large parts of Olsen’s everyday life.

– The biggest upside for us is the simplification of invoices and changes to bills.

– Before, these were manual processes, and we had to take care to make copies of documents and print documents from SmartDok and Compello, which were then our treatment programs. With Visma, we avoid this since everything is already in the systems. As long as the employees are good at allocating hours and invoicing costs, this with invoicing is almost in the box, Olsen.

Håkon Hanssen has used Visma since 2021, and was involved in the entire transition process to Visma.net ERP, and found the transition smooth. He and his team also had the opportunity to provide input on which functions they needed.

– We had a good partner in Joakim from Cloud Connection. He has listened to us and adapted the system as best as possible to our company. He is still involved in the development and helps us when we come up with new ideas, says Hanssen.

Hanssen has naturally been involved in such changes in the past and has some experience with transitions to new systems.

– There are always some who struggle a bit with resistance to change, but most of it is about attitude. It also depends on how far away you are from the accounts. It goes without saying that the closer you are to the accounts, the easier it is to learn. If you use the system very little, logging in can be overwhelming.

– There are many functions in that forest there, but it is important to only focus on the trees you will actually use.

Olsen says that it has been an advantage to bring in one company at a time to Visma.net ERP. Both to limit everything from happening at once, but also to ensure that all the companies made it to the cloud in one piece and safely.

Vevle and Olsen also have a good dialogue with the entire team at Cloud Connection in Bodø, especially Joakim and Berit Anne. They say that it sometimes feels like they are part of the department.

– The collaboration has been very good. They have been very on the ball, and are always solution-oriented and service-oriented, they say.

– The aim is the least possible printing and the most possible automated solutions, says Hanssen.

Hanssen and the team continue the work of further developing the system. He says that the system is built in such a way that they can adapt it as best as possible to their company, when they need it.

– We spent an incredible amount of time on printing and needed a system that spoke to the other systems we use, such as SmartDok.

– Previously, I received travel bills as a pile of papers that had to be scanned and entered into an Excel sheet. whereas now I can just scan the receipt in the shop or at the hotel, and then the job is done, he says.

Olsen now uses Visma.net as a look-up tool, in addition to retrieving reports that show at all times how they are doing, and possibly where they experience deviations.

– Now we have several reports that are collected on one platform. We also have many more opportunities than before, and it is certainly an advantage when we have more companies. There must be a reasonable division of labor between the finance department and us who will manage the project. That gives us flexibility in the system, says Olsen.

It is quite clear that it is the integrations between the various systems that are the most important for both Vevle, Hanssen and Olsen.

– It must run smoothly from A to Z. It’s about us being able to use our resources on the right things. It does not mean that people have to go, but that we get to do a much better job, and we can spend time on what we are good at, concludes Hanssen.

Kronsteingruppen (formerly the SE Gruppen) is the largest local supplier of contractor services and building materials in Midtre Hålogaland. We have over 250 employees and an expected turnover of 880 million in 2022.

Kronsteingruppen owns 4 XL-BYGG stores, 5 construction companies, various real estate companies and plans to start a prefabricated factory.
Our head office is located in Sortland, with subsidiaries in Harstad, Hadsel, Kvæfjord and Evenskjer, in addition to Sortland.

Cloud Connection currently covers the Nordic market through branches in various cities in Norway and Sweden. We deliver software, development, advice and consultancy services to companies of all sizes. Our goal is to be your total partner in finance, logistics, payroll and CRM solutions.