A data warehouse (DWH) retrieves data from various systems and stores it in a secure, queryable database. This makes it the key source for Blauwhoed to gain insights through interactive dashboards and reports.
Since the COVID-19 crisis, nearly everyone has experienced working from home. A quiet workspace with reliable internet, even in the backyard, has proven indispensable. This trend has not gone unnoticed at Blauwhoed. “The world has changed due to COVID-19. Remote work is here to stay, even when we all eventually return to the office. Therefore, it’s a trend that must not be overlooked in future housing concepts,” asserts Ernst Peeman, CFO at Blauwhoed.
Inventing new housing concepts is ingrained in Blauwhoed’s DNA, dating back to the era of the Dutch East India Company over 400 years ago. Today, the company develops projects across the country. “We create vibrant neighborhoods with innovative housing concepts. We meticulously detail these concepts and seek partners to execute them with us. Our work involves numerous stakeholders, from architects, contractors, and engineers to investors, local governments, and residents. Together with them, we navigate the entire development process. We continuously optimize this process to ensure everything in our projects aligns, fulfilling our ambition to respect both the site and the future residents or workers. Understanding what the market demands is crucial to developing the right solutions. Insight is key.”
“We can now target financial KPIs, as well as validate the costs and profits of projects under development. Such a tool definitely enhances our work. And yes, of course, this also translates into revenue.”
“As a project developer, we essentially sell everything we develop. Therefore, we need to ensure that our pipeline remains filled and that we develop around 1,000 homes each year,” says Peeman. According to him, this is where dashboarding comes into play. “Where are you acquiring, what are we developing, what is your exposure in certain regions? Are we too heavily focused in Amsterdam, and should we perhaps shift our focus to Rotterdam? You want to make these kinds of decisions wisely, and you can make much better decisions based on data. This is where Growteq and Blauwhoed come together. Growteq provides insight into the front end of our development process. The pipeline.”
According to Peeman, current management information is ‘indispensable,’ because as CFO, he needs to manage by the numbers and know what he can advise the board based on the dashboard.
The housing market is facing quite a few challenges at the moment. We develop concepts for a variety of target groups, including social housing, mid-priced homes, and expensive homes.
“Purchase and rental. Each segment has its own challenges.” Peeman explains that thanks to Growteq, he can now precisely see where Blauwhoed stands in terms of finances and planning. “Every quarter, we monitor these figures, adjust our plans if necessary, and shift priorities. We then steer based on the content and gain more control over our operations. Thanks to the steering mechanism of the dashboard, we can start experimenting with certain processes.” The realization of the KPI dashboard at Blauwhoed started during the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Now that everything has been delivered, the project developer largely manages the system independently. According to Blauwhoed’s business controller, Peder van den Berg, this was a specific requirement during the development of the dashboards. “You are vulnerable if you are always dependent on a technical party, as I know from experience at a previous employer. Growteq delivers the data from our software and presents it in a smart data model that I can manage or adjust myself. Growteq was closely involved in the development of our dashboards. I look back on a pleasant collaboration.”
Every night, the dashboard retrieves recent data from the source systems and prepares it in a data warehouse. Van den Berg: “From this point, we can add our own business logic, such as assigning smart revenue or adding calculation rules, ensuring that Blauwhoed has real-time management information every day. The dashboard enables us to closely monitor all developments within our organization.” Peeman adds: “We can now focus on steering towards financial KPIs, as well as validating the costs and profits of projects in development. Such a tool certainly enhances our work. And yes, it also generates revenue.”
The availability of data enables decisions to be increasingly based on facts, including in the real estate sector. The real estate dashboards provide an at-a-glance overview of which projects Blauwhoed has developed, sold, or intends to acquire. Additionally, they present all expected costs, the involved parties and individuals, and the units available for rent or sale in a clear and organized manner. Blauwhoed uses all this information for up-to-date management reporting. This allows them to always know which projects are in progress, which individuals are working on them, the profitability of a project, and the associated costs.
Since early 2021, property developer Blauwhoed has been utilizing a data warehouse provided by Growteq. The corresponding intuitive dashboard presents crucial management data on a daily basis. As a result, the Rotterdam-based company has a clearer understanding of where and how to invest in residential concepts. According to Ernst Peeman, real-time insights into strategic data contribute to more successful transactions. “Smart business practices are essential to tackle the challenges in the housing market.”
