A demanding business context, between complexity and time pressure

In the construction sector, every project involves a wide variety of stakeholders, platforms, and document formats. For a general contractor like Louis De Waele, this dispersion makes document management particularly complex, especially as deadlines tighten and pressure on teams increases.

Cooperlink was introduced to ease this burden. The goal: to help teams refocus on project execution while simplifying the flow of information with all external partners.

A solution rolled out gradually and embraced

The adoption of Cooperlink began with a pilot project, followed by a second site. Encouraged by the initial feedback, the company expanded the solution across all its projects. It is now used for several key workflows:

• managing requests for quotes from subcontractors,
• handling technical datasheets,
• compiling as-built documentation,
• and more recently, managing mailboxes (still in testing).

The integration was seamless, with no disruption to established work habits. Even initially reluctant users quickly embraced the tool. As Martin Billiet, CFO, puts it:

The Cooperlink teams were able to provide simple solutions to problems that once seemed insurmountable.

Standardization and agility: an essential combination

Each project comes with its own constraints, client-imposed platforms, document formats, access levels. Cooperlink offers the flexibility to adapt to these variations while maintaining a consistent administrative structure for internal teams. This ability to adapt without adding complexity made all the difference.

The platform acts as an additional layer over the existing document system, keeping files stored internally, on SharePoints or local servers, while giving full control over what is shared externally.

Data security and sovereignty at the heart of the system

For Louis De Waele, regaining control over project data was essential, especially at the end of a project, when the pressure to archive and deliver documentation is high. Cooperlink now makes it possible to pull data scattered across external platforms back into internal systems, enabling better compliance with legal obligations such as the ten-year guarantee.

What matters most to us is that the data remains in-house, and that we decide what gets shared externally.

This level of control brings peace of mind and full traceability, while also strengthening document security.

A gradual adoption, supported by local expertise

As with any digital transformation project, the introduction of a new tool initially met with some internal resistance. But Cooperlink’s agility and responsiveness made all the difference. By offering simple solutions to complex problems, the company was able to quickly overcome these barriers.

Significant attention was given to support at the launch of each site, in close collaboration with the internal IT teams. This local presence made it possible to adapt the platform to each context, while maintaining a standardized document management structure.

A long-term collaboration

Beyond product benefits, Louis De Waele chose Cooperlink for the local presence of its support team in Belgium. The team proved to be available, responsive, and aligned with Louis De Waele’s performance expectations. This ability to combine technical support, functional agility, and industry understanding played a key role in the successful adoption.

Today, Cooperlink has become the company’s standard document management solution. Each new project will be configured with the platform, ensuring long-term consistency and control.

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