AVEVE Group: Streamlining Agricultural Operations with Google Workspace

AVEVE Group is a leading full-service supplier to farmers in Belgium. Established in 1901, the company operates a wide range of businesses in animal nutrition and agricultural and horticultural supplies. AVEVE Group employs more than 1,800 people across more than 50 businesses and 400 locations. With over 230 stores, it has the largest chain of garden centers in Belgium. The company plays a crucial role in the agricultural sector by buying and selling farm products and materials, ensuring fair prices and income for farmers.

AVEVE Group, a Belgian agricultural supplier, was facing challenges in coordinating its diverse businesses spread across more than 50 companies and 400 locations. Each of these companies operated independently, running its own administrative processes, leading to a siloed work environment with little communication between different parties. This lack of a unified platform for information and resource sharing was hindering productivity and efficiency. AVEVE Group was looking to centralize and standardize its processes, requiring a robust platform for collaboration. The company also aimed to shift from individual bookkeeping to a shared service center for managing finances for the entire group, necessitating increased inter-company communication.

AVEVE Group implemented Google Workspace to create a unified communications platform. The decision was influenced by the cost-effectiveness of Google Workspace, offering a complete set of functionalities at a fixed and predictable price. The company partnered with Fourcast for the implementation, migrating 220 stores in two months and subsequently rolling out the tools to the rest of the group. The entire file server stack and Sharepoint environment were migrated to Google Drive, making it accessible to all AVEVE staff. Google Sheets were used for fast and accurate data gathering and sharing, while Google Meet facilitated business discussions and training, saving travel time and costs. AODocs was implemented to manage workflows, decisions, and authorizations, enabling the migration of Sharepoint environments with all their metadata and workflows. The company also developed Google Workspace use cases, such as using Google Forms to simplify engagement with grain warehouses.

• The implementation of Google Workspace transformed AVEVE Group's operations, creating a culture of collaboration across its diverse businesses. The centralization and standardization of processes led to improved efficiency and productivity. The migration to Google Drive facilitated seamless access to files and resources, enhancing inter-company communication. The use of Google Sheets eliminated versioning issues, while Google Meet enabled remote discussions and training, saving travel costs. The implementation of AODocs streamlined workflows and decision-making processes. The use of Google Forms simplified engagement with grain warehouses, reducing paperwork. The transition to Google Workspace also led to significant cost savings, beyond just IT maintenance and licensing.

• An 8% increase in group productivity in the first six months

• Projected €2 million productivity savings every year

• Migration of 220 stores to Google Workspace in just two months