APK Group Deutschland, renowned for their vision “Together we create smart and sustainable cities. To make life easy, safe and accessible for everyone”, connects people, businesses, and governments by installing intelligent and sustainable infrastructures. Their subsidiaries, RSW GmbH and Westkabel, specialize in fiber optic networks and telecommunication infrastructure, respectively.

With GO FiberConnect, APK Deutschland will significantly enhance their processes surrounding Fiber to the Home (FTTH). The software is specifically designed to simplify the FTTH rollout process, save costs, and optimize the management of processes, tasks, and employees. 

“We are delighted to collaborate with an innovative company like Sogelink,” says Stef Kerkhofs of APK Group Deutschland.

GO FiberConnect provides us with the tools we need to execute our projects faster and more efficiently, aligning perfectly with our mission to make cities future-proof, safe, and accessible.

GO FiberConnect has already proven successful in over 250 FttH projects in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium. The software enables automated progress reporting, real-time insights, and a streamlined process that fosters better collaboration and communication.

“It is an honor to welcome APK Group Deutschland as a client,” says Michel Kraaijeveld, Sales Manager Germany at Sogelink.

APK’s choice of our software underscores the strength and reliability of GO FiberConnect. We look forward to a successful partnership contributing to their ambitious goals.

By choosing GO FiberConnect, APK Group Deutschland demonstrates their commitment to delivering high-quality, future-proof infrastructure solutions. This collaboration marks a significant step towards realizing their vision of making cities smarter and more sustainable. 

APK Group Deutschland is a leading company in sustainable infrastructure, comprising RSW GmbH and Westkabel. Their expertise encompasses fiber optic networks, telecommunication infrastructure, and civil engineering. With their focus on innovation and customer satisfaction, they aim to create future-proof cities. 

About Sogelink 

Sogelink is a market leader in Fiber to the Home (FTTH) software solutions. With over 10 years of experience and a strong track record in the Netherlands, Germany, and Belgium, Sogelink offers solutions that optimize processes and accelerate the rollout of fiber optic networks. The Sogelink Group, with 700 employees, is a European leader in construction and infrastructure technology with headquarters in the Netherlands, France, and Norway. 

For press inquiries, please contact:

Tatiana van den Bosch (Marketing)
Sogelink
E: tatiana.van.den.bosch@sogelink.com

We thank APK Group Deutschland for their trust in us and look forward to a fruitful collaboration in shaping smart and sustainable cities.

VoorInfra is a young and rapidly growing consultancy and engineering agency from Apeldoorn. As a partner for both network providers and groundwork contractors, the company offers a wide range of services. “These range from design to project control and management,” says Arjan Hukema (project manager) at VoorInfra. “GO FiberConnect was specifically developed for the FTTH process; a flexible tool that has proven its worth time and again – both in the back office and out in the field.”

As an example, Arjan mentions the project that VoorInfra is handling for Kabelnoord, a telecommunication provider with great focus on its clients. The contractor responsible for the rollout is Euronet Infratechniek. “At the start of the project, our job was to set up the process as quickly as possible from an organisational and technical perspective. We handle and support practically all activities, except for actually directing the teams and mechanics on location.”

Epicentre of information

Arjan emphasises the importance of proper information provision towards the client throughout the process. “What information do they want to receive regarding the project’s progress and with what frequency? What automatic triggers do we have to set up? GO FiberConnect truly is the epicentre of the process. It is where all information comes together.”

At the same time, it ensures other supporting systems are fed the right data. Arjan: “Think of e.g. the database at the address level that our planners use. For contractors and mechanics out in the field, it is important to have access to the right information at the right time. They also want to be able to share this information with the right colleagues quickly and easily. Then there is the stream of information between the end customer or resident about the date of the actual connection.”

In a process with this many stakeholders and variables, nothing every goes exactly according to plan. Arjan: “Every day, things happen that affect the planning and the work of someone else further down the workflow. Proper information provision during and between the processes is crucial in order to keep your eye on the ball, keep the project running smoothly and allow everyone to do their job with optimal efficiency.”

Finetuning

Arjan is happy with the tooling’s balance between client-specific customisation and standardisation. “You can really tell that the software was developed by people with knowledge of and experience with this specific process. Once the initial setup of the process was complete, we used the first six months to finetune everything together with GOconnectIT. During that time, we learned a lot about what is and isn’t possible. It is important to leave enough room for custom configuration in a process that is quite heavily standardised,” Arjan says. “At times, a seemingly minor addition of information from the client can have a significant impact in terms of efficiency. It can also give a major boost to the First Time Right percentage.”

According to Arjan, the complexity of these projects mainly lies at the back end of the process and in the interfaces with the myriad other systems that have to be established. “GO FiberConnect greases the wheels and ensures the process can continue to run smoothly. The more relevant information we can retrieve from the various systems, the better we are able to proactively think along with our client,” says Arjan, who has quite a few tricks left up his sleeve. “The fiberglass market will continue to grow rapidly in the near future. That means more projects with greater numbers of connections, more complex planning and closer interaction with end customers. It also calls for an even greater degree of efficiency and process automation. I hope GO FiberConnect can help us overcome that challenge.”

“We make connectivity grow” is the slogan of VolkerWessels Telecom (VWT). As part of the VolkerWessels group, it focuses on the FTTH process and getting the Netherlands connected via fiberglass. It was the first party in our country to reach the milestone of one million Homes Passed. The company has been using GO FiberConnect for the rollout of its fiberglass networks for some time now.

Why did VolkerWessels Telecom choose GO FiberConnect? It had to do with the phasing out of its predecessor ‘FiberConnect,’ which they had been using for a while. That happened to coincide with new projects for various clients. It was the perfect time to put the new software to the test.

Myriad stakeholders and great time pressure

As a specialist and major player in the FTTH process, VolkerWessels Telecom works on dozens of projects at the same time. Some of these involve 25,000 connections, while others require 150,000 or more. Large or small, urban or rural environment; what all these projects have in common is that the company is under serious pressure and the various project parties have to work together closely to get the job done.

VolkerWessels Telecom has to think of their organisation and their own ‘interior’ planning. Then there are the client’s processes and wishes and the management of myriad external contractors and employees. Everyone has their own methods, orders and information  needs. Lastly, there is the communication with the resident or consumer whom all their efforts ultimately benefit. They are the final important link in the process and VolkerWessels Telecom tries to keep the hindrance they cause them to a minimum.

VolkerWessels Telecom emphasises the importance of up-to-date, reliable and digital information during the rollout process. This is crucial for an efficient and smooth process and a satisfied client. GO FiberConnect plays a critical role in this. It supports every phase of the rollout and is easy to use. This tool makes it difficult to skip or overlook any step of the process, says VolkerWessels Telecom. “Inspecting, splicing or connecting: after a task is done, it is checked off digitally and the next step in the workflow opens automatically.”

A complete overview anywhere and anytime

Because the information in GO Appeee is linked to the planning software of GO FiberConnect, insight into and an overview of the project’s progress is available at any time. VolkerWessels Telecom: “At every stage of the process, we have access to the right information – in the office and out in the field. That is important for ourselves, for the progress reports and for the information provision toward our client. They want to know exactly where we stand – sometimes even in real time – and what we have planned for the coming months.”

At every stage of the process, we have access to the right information – in the office and out in the field. That is important for ourselves, for the progress reports and for the information provision toward our client.

Another benefit is that GO FiberConnect’s standardisation restricts colleagues’ creativity. That may not sound like a good thing. What you want is a rigid and transparent information process. Of course, it should be possible – to a degree – to configure things to your liking or e.g. quickly modify an inspection form. GO FiberConnect does offer that freedom, according to VolkerWessels Telecom: “However, too much customisation or freedom can lead to an unwieldy amalgamation of different methods and forms. Then it becomes a real challenge to find the proverbial needle in the haystack.”

During the implementation and while setting up the various processes, it took some effort to determine what was and wasn’t possible. VolkerWessels Telecom call themselves a demanding client and they are not easily satisfied: “I think we both learned a lot during those first few months. Still, the lines of communication were kept short and we always communicated openly and directly. Yes, I can truly say that I enjoyed working together with my contacts at GOconnectIT from the very start. They are a no-nonsense party with extensive knowledge of and experience in the FTTH sector.”