To measure is to know: and that is precisely what Testo knows all about. As market leader with the widest range within the field, the company offers appropriate measurement solutions for players in HVAC, Food, Pharma and various other industries. Here, not only upfront advice and sales, but also guidance, the help desk and training are standard part of the service. Under the motto “be sure”, the lifetime guarantee of accurate measurement is emphasized. Proper training, regular recalibration and the repair service ensure this for the customer. Some 43 employees, including on-site technicians, commercial representatives, back office and marketers are on standby every day.
The use of high-quality materials and technology guarantees the quality of the measuring devices, and some 16% of sales are reinvested in further research and innovation. So the company knows that the market is evolving, and consequently it is better to start growing too early than too late. Jeroen Van Der Kelen, Managing Director of Testo, explains how On IT could support them in this – and how we later joined forces as business partners.
The quest for growth
On the one hand, Testo is the first to see what certain technological developments can mean for the company; on the other hand, the demand for digitization also comes from the customer. Integration with other software used is an example of this.
“We have competitors in every segment of the market, so to maintain our position as the market leader, we have to stay one step ahead of them,” Jeroen said.
Full commitment to digitization and transformation was the message. Not only the solution had to be reliable, but also the partner for the process. “The professional click had to be there when making the choice,” says Jeroen. On IT turned out to be the perfect party.
What was the need? Customers on the job were (still) collecting their data on paper. They needed to be able to do that digitally and automatically. Installers who use flue gas analyzers while servicing boilers at their end customers were in need of a solid digital update.
On to phase 2 – with bells and whistles
On IT was there from the small beginnings of the digital transformation – with first application Instalight – but Testo quickly noticed that more was needed. Saving measurement results and consulting them later was not yet possible. The customer would benefit from a Cloud, for storing attestations of measurements. “That Cloud, where the digital attestations could be stored, turned out afterwards to be a very valuable mini CRM tool for our HVAC users,” says Jeroen. After all, digital customers need a Cloud that makes information available everywhere.
That further development came in the second phase: the ProHeat solution. In short: an application to easily keep track of certifications on the track. After measurement, the results automatically land on the tablet via Bluetooth and the necessary certificates can be generated in PDF. Finally, these documents end up in the Cloud. The result is that the information is continuously available, up-to-date and digital.
How did we realize that? It was the knowledge of Testo’s Koen van Nieuwenhoeve, the expert on attestations and logic, that had to be digitized into an application. Because of the close cooperation with Gert Uvin, it was a short back-and-forth. Typical On IT: modular, customized applications tailored and requested by the customer. Fast follow-up, adjustments and then coming up with a new and improved version. Koen could test that version every time, and was the best person to indicate where further improvements could be made.
From service to partnership
Then the ball really started rolling. On IT and Testo joined forces for a partnership. Testo handles the commercialization of the application, On IT looks after the technical side of things and the helpdesk. Today, the app has more than 750 users, making it the largest app with digital certificates. And the licenses keep growing. Word-of-mouth is perhaps the biggest compliment in this regard: the reactions from the market – from direct users – are very positive. Sales of flue gas analyzers have increased by 20% and Testo has continued to grow its market share. That promises for the future, which is to process optimization!
A successful collaboration between two ambitious companies
“There was a real bond of trust fairly quickly,” says Jeroen. “On IT quickly gave an indication of budget and timing, which in retrospect proved to be very accurate. The fixed pricing also gave confidence,” he adds.
The speed with which a solution was drawn up also made an impression: only three months passed between the first conversation and the realization of the app. “A good partner for digitization is primordial. An investment must be recouped, and this is a partner that has so far always succeeded in this. Within timeframes, within budget and with quality assurance,” concludes the Managing Director. The step to business partners is a nice evolution, successes will be celebrated together in the future.
