Case Study: Metalen Galler achieves faster processing and improved customer service with DocuWare

Wholesaler Makes the Most of Economic Crisis

Metalen Galler, a family-run Belgian wholesaler of iron and steel founded in 1845 with about 100 employees and branches in Antwerp, Mol and Hemiksem, faced rising competition and inefficient, decentralized paper processes. With roughly 200,000 documents piling up, slow searches, duplicated files and missed paperwork were slowing service and morale, and the 2009 economic downturn made improving efficiency a strategic priority.

The company implemented a DocuWare document management system integrated with its GODIS/400 ERP, creating a central digital archive, barcode scanning at three sites and automated workflows for orders, invoices and delivery notes (about 53,000 documents/year). The solution—used by ~30 staff with additional scanners and workstations—reduced paper, sped processing, improved customer service, enabled better use of cash discounts, lowered admin costs and raised productivity roughly equivalent to two full-time employees (payback now expected in about two years).

Metalen Galler

Bart Waegeman

DMS Project Manager