“I only see advantages,” Loes continues. The 27-year-old estimator has been working at Laudy for five years now, and if it’s up to her, no project will ever go without 12Build again.
Loes studied Construction Engineering at Zuyd University of Applied Sciences. After graduating, she immediately applied for a position at Laudy. Although construction is still often seen as a male-dominated industry, she feels completely at home in the estimating department.
“It’s going really well,” she says. “It’s fun with so many colleagues around, and the guys are always up for a joke.”
At the estimating department, Loes works on a wide range of projects.
“Residential buildings, museums, swimming pools, schools — we do it all. As estimators, we calculate the construction costs based on various documents. During this phase, contact with suppliers and subcontractors is crucial. That’s where 12Build helps us keep the process organized and efficient.”
Laudy is a leading construction company with over 175 years of history. As part of Ballast Nedam, Laudy is active in residential construction, utility construction, renovation and sustainability projects, restoration, and construction services, with a strong focus on the Limburg region. The company is known for its craftsmanship, reliability, and innovative approach, with sustainability and quality at its core.
Loes has been using 12Build since her very first day at Laudy.
“I can't remember using any other software,” she says. “My colleagues were already familiar with 12Build as well. It's just a natural part of our process.” She especially appreciates how clear and organized the platform is. “You don’t just throw something over the wall. With a few clicks, everyone has the right information. That’s the strength of 12Build.”
When the Publications feature* was introduced, Loes was curious but skeptical. “My first thought was: why change something that already works well?” Still, she and her colleagues decided to give it a try. Previously, they mainly sent quotation requests to known partners. With Publications, they can share project components earlier in the process and choose what to share and with whom.
“You can decide whether to share it with the entire market or with a select group. So far, I always choose to publish to the full market. And it worked right away. With the very first project component, we received a response quickly. That left us wanting more. We used to stick mainly to regular partners nearby, but we’re seeing some really interesting new results.”
Since the launch of Publications, Loes has noticed a shift. “Specialists reach out more quickly. They explore the project themselves. Now subcontractors can show interest proactively. They first check whether the project suits their expertise instead of me selecting them first. Before, it sometimes felt like you were throwing something into a black hole. Now the communication is different — better.”
And it’s paying off. “We’ve already received quotations through Publications. I’m definitely going to use it for every project from now on, and even earlier in the process. You can see that it works.”
*At the moment, Publications is only available in the Netherlands. The feature is expected to roll out to other countries later this year.
What does Loes like most about 12Build? “That everything is in one place: documents, requests, communication with specialists. You have full visibility, and the platform is easy to use. Even when something comes in via Outlook, you can easily transfer it to 12Build. Then the communication continues within the platform.”
The communication with 12Build itself also runs smoothly, according to Loes. Whenever there’s something new, our Customer Success Manager Roy visits the Laudy office in Sittard. “We'll go through it together with Roy — like we did with Publications. It feels personal and very accessible. For smaller questions, I usually use the chatbox. That’s very convenient when we need a quick answer.”
Recently, Laudy started testing the integration with SharePoint as well.
“We work a lot in SharePoint, so this fits perfectly. What’s nice is that you can not only connect but also easily refresh documents. You stay in control and decide what to import.”
Thanks to the integration, Laudy no longer needs to upload documents manually. They can immediately see if new versions are available and save valuable time during quotation preparation.
This integration enables automatic synchronization of project folders between SharePoint and 12Build, meaning less manual work, always up-to-date documents, and better control over information management. The team at Laudy is used to working with centralized document structures and clearly recognizes the value of smart integrations that simplify daily workflows.
Looking ahead, Loes sees 12Build remaining a key part of Laudy’s operations. “We process a lot of quotation requests. I want to keep using Publications, get my colleagues excited about it, and continue testing the SharePoint integration.”
Any wishes for future features? “A deeper search function. It could be a little more detailed, but I know you’re already working on that." Loes has a clear recommendation for the construction industry: “12Build? Just go for it. I only see advantages.”
Loes de Bruijn
Estimator at Laudy