12Build and Aircall break new ground in the construction industry

12Build is a SaaS company that helps construction industry companies make procurement processes more transparent and streamline project management. The platform was born from a final university project.

Today, a little more than 15 years later, the company has grown to some 70 employees. As well as making waves in its original market in the Netherlands, the company is revolutionizing the construction projects of customers in Belgium, Germany, and Denmark.

Modernization of the construction industry demands appropriate digital tools

In an industry that has grown and developed so traditionally, modernization is a forward-looking mission that is far from easy. In many cases, processes have remained unchanged for decades. And digital transformation doesn’t stop at construction.

Acquisition of business customers is a key task, too, and the added value of a cloud solution must be made clear to all.

This is why, as a SaaS provider, 12Build places particular emphasis on customer interactions. It relies on a tech stack based on Aircall’s cloud-based phone system, plus integrations with Pipedrive, Intercom, Planhat and Hubspot.

Tom Kleywegt, Senior Support Engineer and Application Manager at 12Build, shared more about the setup. As one of the two people who introduced Aircall to the organization, he understands the necessity of a seamless and transparent ecosystem for team collaboration.

“Communicating with customers through various channels such as phone and chat can be time-consuming. However, it's insightful to know if a customer has been contacted before. By keeping track of these interactions across all applications and teams, we can avoid unnecessary back-and-forth and make more informed decisions. If all employees document each conversation's notes, we can streamline our communication processes and save valuable time.”

But although the workflows and visibility of relevant data were major plus points in the decision to choose Aircall, they weren’t the main reason.

Previously, 12Build had used a Java-based softphone from a Dutch VoIP provider, a setup that resulted in various problems during daily use and updates, eventually culminating in the company being unavailable to customers for periods of time.

“Those were major red flags or indications that we basically needed to update our phone provider. Part of our business model is to call businesses and sell on the phone, so reliability is an important factor.”

How red flags with the previous provider led 12Build to Aircall

Since the previous provider wasn’t working, they began the search for an alternative. Summarizing 12Build’s requirements for its new provider, Tom Kleywegt explains: "We also looked at full solutions, but consciously decided on a point solution. First, because this made the most sense for our staff number and secondly, because we were already using our own tools and processes, which had proven their worth.”

In the ensuing vendor comparison, Aircall came out on top. One factor was that it easily integrated with 12Build’s existing IT ecosystem. Flexibility and scalability also played a major role, since 12Build operates internationally.

"A couple of years ago, we were growing very fast and even expanded into other countries like Belgium and Germany. So we needed a telephone solution with which we could easily get foreign numbers and which was easy to use for remote employees.”

Once they made the switch, the integration process was practically instantaneous. A dedicated Aircall agent monitored 12Build’s implementation process closely during the first week to quickly resolve any questions or issues. Tom Kleywegt still reflects positively on the process.

“Setting up Aircall was very intuitive. How the numbers can be managed in the dashboard, the way the phone is installed and used.... I'm not sure if it can be done any easier.”

Fit for the future thanks to Aircall’s advantageous functions

While there’s no crystal ball to predict exactly what will happen in the next 5 to 10 years, 12Build is confident that the team is well equipped.

“We aim to build a solid base in Germany which means we will probably have a dedicated German sales and customer success team. Hopefully we will have a similar situation in Belgium and Denmark. In terms of workflow, I guess we will be working with the same tech-stack but have it more divided within teams. When it comes to Aircall, it already offers the possibility to set up lines etc. within teams. This way, we are already prepared for the future.”

Aircall’s newly introduced user roles also have a part to play, having contributed to 12Build’s recent official certification to the ISO/IEC 27001 standard and further minimized risk factors in the management of employee rights. This was a further significant step in strengthening the SaaS organization’s position.

For businesses still looking for a communication system that meets their needs, Tom Kleywegt advises:

"It is best to start by simply mapping the entire telephone lines and functions for each department in a company. With a partner like Aircall, it's then very intuitive and easy to set up the phone system the way you planned it."