Redactie Xafax
ArtEZ is one of the major art colleges in the Netherlands and has various locations in Arnhem, Enschede and Zwolle. ArtEZ provides a coherent range of preparatory, bachelor's and master's courses in visual arts, design, music and theater for more than 3,000 students.
Bert Kremer has been head of ICT at the university since 2005. He has been assisted from the very beginning by his namesake and account manager of Xafax, Bert Vink. A unique long-term business relationship. Below we talk to Bert Kremer about his experience with Xafax.
“When I joined ArtEZ in 2005, we were already a Xafax customer. Then the school used tickets that students could buy from a workshop assistant. Of all the suppliers I work with, Bert Vink is by far the longest-serving account manager.”
Bert Vink adds: “ That's right! I have been with Xafax for a long time. Even before you came to ArtEZ, indeed. ArtEZ has been a Xafax customer for over thirty years. We once started with cardboard cards for copying and printing. Since Bert started at ArtEZ, they have made many professionalization efforts. He wanted to look at and optimize payment systems for printing and copying and vending machines.”
“When I entered the school had a hodgepodge of printers and copiers. I wanted to make that uniform. I also wanted a payment system that is independent of the printer supplier. Otherwise you will have to switch systems again and again if another printer supplier wins the tender. We therefore wanted to have the payment systems separate from the supplier of the multifunctionals, because that can change every 5 years.”
“In addition to multifunctionals, we also have POS cash registers and coffee machines running on the Xafax system. We also have workshops where students can buy clay, wooden planks or other materials with their printing credit, or as we call it: their Xafax credit. We also have PinPoints in the central hall, where students can top up their credit.
“Uniformity and flexibility were the main reasons for ArtEZ to choose Xafax. ArtEZ is a small university of applied sciences and we do not have the capacity to try and test everything. It just has to work well. And it does, there is almost never anything.”
“ The collaboration is always good. Sometimes you have periods when everything is just running and then you have virtually no contact. Coincidentally, we have had more contact in the past year because we had Touch Pads that needed to be replaced. That project also ran smoothly again. Very satisfied and now we can move forward again for a while.”
“I have always experienced that as a good thing and I still think so. If there is a problem with invoices, or anything else, it will be resolved quickly. Because Xafax is a relatively small organization, they are able to switch quickly and provide customized solutions. With suppliers that are enormous, you can sometimes get bogged down in bureaucratic red tape. Then you are sent from pillar to post. That is not the case with Xafax. That flexibility suits our organization very well.”
“Xafax has contributed in particular to the standardization of our organization. We have 44 courses. The content of these courses varies enormously. A dance training is something completely different from training to become a cartoonist. But educational logistics and business operations are universal. I always compare it to LEGO. All those blocks are standard and fit together, but one makes a boat and the other a train. By making ICT universal and efficient, more attention and energy can be focused on the content of our education.”
“I am very satisfied, so I think an 8.5. Xafax has been a reliable supplier throughout all these years. They are just a very stable, reliable company.”
