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GP Groot simplified its IT landscape by using Pieterbas ERP as the central ERP core, with Mendix low-code as a flexible application layer around it. This enabled the company to digitize and automate processes for waste weighing and processing, collection, order handling, and subcontractor assignment.
The result: less manual work, less ERP customization, a saving of almost one full-time equivalent in one process, and more processing capacity without adding extra staff.
GP Groot started in 1917 as a family business and has since grown into an organization that does far more than collect waste. Today, it is one of the larger players in the Netherlands in waste collection, recycling, energy, and infrastructure.
Every day, the organization works toward a circular future: waste is reused as a raw material, energy source, or new product. But despite its growth and professionalization, one thing has remained the same: GP Groot likes to do things its own way. As a family business, it wants to stay in control of how processes are run and how customers are served.
It was precisely this combination of growth, complexity, and a distinct way of working that caused the IT landscape to fall out of step with the organization.
GP Groot has grown significantly in recent years, partly through acquisitions. But its IT landscape did not grow as one unified whole. Several ERP and invoicing systems were running side by side, creating multiple versions of the truth across the organization.
“If you maintain your data in several different places, you can never be completely sure which version is correct”, says Eric Weijers, CEO, Blue Green Solutions
This meant that when a new order came in, employees first had to determine which system it belonged in, only to then re-enter the same information into other systems.
At the same time, more and more processes were being solved with custom development inside the ERP systems, which required significant time and budget. Other processes were handled outside the systems altogether, through separate ways of working and Excel files.
“What we mainly struggled with was that everything went through email. There was no uniformity. We were constantly emailing back and forth to get the right information on the table, and that took up a lot of time.”
- Marit Klok, backoffice teamlead GP Groot
As a result, it became increasingly difficult to align processes and adapt them to what the organization needed. Meanwhile, the company continued to grow. In a sector with tight margins, processes need to be improved quickly, without always depending on custom development in the ERP. GP Groot wanted more control over its own development roadmap and less dependency on the choices, planning, and priorities within the core system.
GP Groot chose a different approach. Instead of continuing to build on top of the existing landscape, the company went back to the foundation. It decided to simplify the core: one central ERP system for all core processes and data. Just as importantly, GP Groot chose to keep that system as standard as possible.
Processes that are specific to GP Groot were built in a flexible layer around the ERP. Using the Mendix platform, several applications were developed, each supporting a specific process.
These included:
A central integration layer was also set up, allowing new applications to connect more easily without having to integrate directly with every underlying system.
“We use Mendix low-code because of its speed and scalability.”
- Rob Verduin, Project Manager Business Development GP Groot
Rather than designing one large project upfront, the applications were developed step by step and tested directly in practice. This resulted in solutions that closely match the day-to-day work.
Or, as Eric summarizes it: the core stays clean, while everything around it remains flexible.
The collaboration started small. In a proof of concept that took only a few days, the teams built the first application together. It not only worked from a technical perspective, but also proved to be a strong fit with how GP Groot wanted to work. From there, the approach grew step by step. New applications followed in quick succession. Over time, it became clear that isolated solutions were not enough.
“What stood out to me about these developers was how quickly they understood the challenge and how actively they thought along with us. The process was fast, on schedule, and very transparent.”
- Rob Verduin, Project Manager Business Development GP Groot
The new setup has changed the way GP Groot works. Manual steps have been removed from several parts of the process. For example, when processing waste, the load is now weighed directly on the truck, registered, and automatically processed in the ERP without additional manual actions. This alone saved almost one full-time equivalent and made it possible to process higher volumes without immediately needing extra capacity.
Eric confirms: “As a result, they were simply able to do more in a day, without adding more people.”
The new architecture also makes it easier to adapt processes quickly. New ideas from the operation can be implemented within a short timeframe, instead of going through months-long development cycles.
This has a visible impact on daily operations:
But perhaps the most important impact is longer term.
By choosing a flexible application landscape around a stable core, GP Groot has gained more control over its own processes and development. “You can see that they are now much faster in responding to what happens in the operation. They are less dependent on their core systems for change and better able to adapt to new requirements from the market, legislation, and customer expectations,” says Eric.
For GP Groot, this project was not just about building applications. It was about making a different choice in how the organization approaches IT. As Eric puts it: “If you build everything into your ERP, eventually you end up with a system that is no longer maintainable.”
By keeping its core systems clean and organizing flexibility around them, GP Groot has created a foundation that can move with the organization. New processes no longer have to be forced into the ERP, but can be developed quickly and purposefully in the layer around it. This creates a way of working that can scale with the business.
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