Essentiel

From technical question to organizational reality

Essentiel Antwerp originally approached Humaniti with a question that initially seemed technical: their Navision environment was too outdated to support the many requested customizations. However, it soon became clear that the problem did not lie in the software, but in the foundations of the organization. Before technology could even be discussed, it had to be clear where Essentiel truly stood, what steps were missing, and what was needed to be ready for a digital transformation.

We therefore started with a readiness assessment, a short but intensive exercise in which, through interviews and analysis, we gained insight into culture, processes, risks, maturity, and buy-in. It became clear why previous improvement projects had never truly landed: there was a lack of structured preparation and a shared understanding of what needed to happen first before looking at solutions.

Corona as a trigger for change

During the COVID-19 period, Essentiel returned to us. The organization realized that standing still was no longer an option and that this was an ideal moment to invest in their digital foundation. Together with Humaniti, the vision was sharpened: why do we want to change, and what needs to be fundamentally different to make future growth possible?

Next, we brought the urgency clearly into focus. Scalability issues, operational inefficiencies, and a severely outdated application landscape formed a clear "burning platform". In parallel, we examined who within the organization could carry the project, what competencies were present, and where reinforcement was needed. This led to the creation of an internal team that could function as the engine of change.

From the interviews, several quick wins also emerged: small but direct improvements that gave the organization breathing room and immediately demonstrated that change works. Those early successes proved crucial for building trust in the journey.

Architecture, choices, and governance

With the change narrative clear and buy-in anchored, we mapped out Essentiel's entire digital landscape. The company worked with a mix of older and newer systems spread across ERP, webshop, marketplace, product management, and logistical integrations. By structuring that landscape clearly, we could determine what could be retained, what needed replacement, and which components were missing to build a scalable and future-oriented platform.

Because Essentiel has strong and diverse teams—creative, operational, and IT—it was essential to bring objectivity to the decision-making process. Humaniti provided clear evaluation frameworks, transparent comparisons of solutions, and facilitated sessions where emotion and personal preferences made way for business logic. This allowed partners and technologies to be chosen based on value and feasibility.

In addition, seven parallel digital projects were underway. We supported the CIO and CFO in setting up governance, role distribution, decision-making, and project coordination so that these tracks could evolve synchronously and in a structured manner. This was crucial to ultimately achieving one integrated platform.

Working in horizons: realism instead of overload

Because Essentiel had broad digital ambitions, Humaniti introduced a horizon approach to keep the journey manageable. Instead of doing everything at once, we worked with a clear phasing:

• Horizon 1: Essential realizations for immediate operational growth.
• Horizon 2: Logical optimizations and expansions.
• Horizon 3: Visionary, future-oriented steps.

This approach provided peace of mind, direction, and realism. It made it clear that not every decision had to be made today, but that every step must fit into the story of tomorrow.

Ready to build

Only when the vision, architecture, governance, and phasing were in order was Essentiel truly ready for execution. Technology was only deployed at the moment the organization was mature enough to carry it. This significantly increased the chance of a sustainable transformation.

This case perfectly demonstrates what Humaniti stands for: digital transformation does not start with tools, but with people, culture, and direction. By building the foundation first, Essentiel became agile again with a journey that is not only technically but also humanly sound.