De Bijenkorf × Qobee - towards a future-proof SaaS‑rhythm

When De Bijenkorf asked us to think along about the next step for their financial processes, it felt familiar. Since the late 1980s, the premium department store has been running on Anchr‑software for ERP, finance, and retail processes. After years of growth, a mature environment had developed, partly tailored. The new ambition: to maintain the same quality, but with the agility and predictability of SaaS.

de Bijenkorf stands for a premium experience. You want to deliver that promise also in the back office: stable processes, clear workflows, and no surprises during month-end closing. The key question: can we switch in a controlled manner to a modern SaaS platform, with fewer dependencies and lower maintenance costs — without sacrificing functionality or control?

Laying the puzzle again together

Qobee digitises and automates the entire procurement and financial cycle, from request to payment. The platform brings finance and procurement together in one solution, enabling organisations to have better control over their processes and expenses.

We did not start by building, but by pruning. Together with the Finance and IT project team, we revisited the existing impact analysis. Where there were previously ‘gaps’, we dared to cut back: what can be standard in Qobee, and what do we secure via integrations?

This approach paid off. About 60% of the previous custom functionality could be replaced by standard Qobee features. The project administration — previously fully customised — was now set up as standard. The recurring costs decreased and management became more transparent.

Sprints, discipline and involved users

Over the course of about a year, we worked in short sprints towards a clearly defined scope. Integrations and the new projects module were designed collaboratively. From April, training sessions commenced (two days a week), and from May, the focus shifted entirely to testing. A total of 22 key users were trained and actively involved, which helped establish support and ensure quality assurance. Three-week project meetings kept progress closely monitored, and an additional release moment was scheduled for going live. In July, Qobee went live; during the launch week, consultants were on-site, and afterwards, daily consultation hours were available for quick coordination.

Practical collaboration

The collaboration was characterised by direct communication, transparent decision-making, and a pragmatic, solutions-oriented attitude. Domain knowledge on both sides accelerated setup and minimized noise in the delivery. Not everything was ready at once, and performance issues were addressed after go-live — lessons learned that we consciously incorporated into the post-implementation support and future projects.

What is currently written

The Bijenkorf runs on Qobee for Finance, integrated with VIRGO, the custom Oracle ERP solution. Evaluation workflows, matching, expense reports and invoice streams, the customizations follow standardized processes. The organization pays less for recurring costs, is less dependent on customization, and can continuously improve through periodic SaaS releases of Qobee in small, controlled steps.

The close collaboration, the level of knowledge, and the clear scope made the go-live remarkably smooth. We are pleased with the standardization — without losing control.

De Bijenkorf

Project team

The promise for tomorrow

With Qobee as a SaaS platform, de Bijenkorf automatically grows with new releases. No more large ‘big bang’ projects, but continuous improvement on a stable foundation. This suits an organization that wants to remain premium — for the customer in the store and for the colleagues behind the scenes.

Practical highlights

From custom to standard

Approximately 60% of the original customization has been replaced with standard Qobee functionality.

Standard project administration

The complete project management has been successfully transitioned from customisation to a standard Qobee setup.

Decline in recurrent costs

Due to standardisation and less customisation, the recurrent costs have decreased structurally.

Users actively involved

22 key-users have been trained and are actively involved in testing, providing support and quality assurance.

Well scheduled, seamless live

Completed in approximately 12 months, with a go-live in July — within scope, schedule, and budget.

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With Qobee, de Bijenkorf has laid a future-proof foundation for its financial processes — agile, scalable, and manageable. By carefully choosing standardization together, and customisation where it adds value, a solid SaaS environment has been created that grows with the organisation. The result is not only a successful go-live but also a foundation for continuous improvement.

Want to learn more about this approach or what Qobee can do for your organisation? Get in touch with us.

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