Montea, an international investor in logistics real estate, has experienced an impressive growth trajectory since its stock market listing in 2006. With operations in Belgium, the Netherlands, France and Germany and a portfolio worth €2.6 billion, the company continues to pursue ambitious growth. But this expansion also brought challenges. In particular, the digitalisation and centralisation of data and business processes required a thorough approach. This is where The Zoo came in, as an innovative partner helping Montea implement a flexible, data-driven CRM solution.
With operations in four countries and a rapidly growing customer base, it became increasingly difficult for Montea to maintain a clear overview. Departments worked with separate systems, making data exchange cumbersome and causing valuable insights to be lost.
“My dream was to have a system in which all important information is structured and accessible,” says Bart Van Mol, Digital and IT Manager at Montea. However, the existing CRM system, which mainly supported marketing, offered too few possibilities for other teams. The result: fragmented data and incomplete customer information.
In The Zoo, Montea found a partner that combined technical expertise with a human approach. Sparkfish designed a solution based on the Microsoft Power Platform, with Dataverse as its foundation and a fully customised Power App Hub as the front end.
“Power Platform is a toolbox that The Zoo configured to fit our organisation,” says Bart. The Power App Hub centralises information such as lease contracts, energy management and customer data, while connecting different data sources replaces manual processes with automation.
Christine De Glas, Head of Marketing & External Communication at Montea, emphasises the importance of collaboration: “At The Zoo, Michiel and Linde understood our needs perfectly and developed a system that truly fits the way our teams work.”
“Thanks to The Zoo, we have laid a strong foundation for data quality.”
Using a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) approach, the project was divided into manageable steps. Lessons were learned and immediately applied during each phase, making the implementation both flexible and efficient.
Sparkfish also helped Montea establish a solid data management structure. “The system couldn't become a dumping ground,” says Bart. “Thanks to The Zoo, we have laid a strong foundation for data quality.”
Automation plays a key role in this. For example, the new system automatically calculates energy costs based on contract terms and leased space. This not only saves time but also prevents errors.
To ensure widespread adoption of the system, The Zoo placed employees at the centre of the development process. Through user stories, teams were given a say in the process, which not only increased their involvement but also strengthened overall support for the solution.
“We're working hard to turn our biggest critics into our biggest fans,” says Bart. “Thanks to the user-friendly setup, employees increasingly understand how the system supports them in their daily work, and we're well on our way to strengthening this even further.”
"The Zoo goes beyond providing a service; they are our ally in innovation."
Montea looks back on its collaboration with The Zoo with great appreciation. “To us, they are not suppliers, but partners,” Bart emphasises. Christine adds: “The Zoo goes beyond providing a service; they are our ally in innovation.”
From training sessions at locations in Paris and Tilburg to open communication about challenges, The Zoo repeatedly demonstrated its commitment. “At one point, we questioned whether we should continue, but The Zoo approached that moment with understanding and offered a solution. That transparency strengthened our trust,” says Christine.
With its new digital foundation in place, Montea aims to continue growing. The next step? Optimising lead management, measuring marketing performance and connecting data sources even more effectively.
“This is only the beginning,” says Bart. “We will continue building fully digital support for our core processes. And together with The Zoo, we will continue to strengthen our competitive edge.”
The collaboration between Montea and The Zoo is an inspiring example of how companies can become stronger together. Through innovation, commitment and a shared vision, they have achieved a digital transformation that goes beyond technology: it lays the foundation for sustainable growth.
Christine summed up the project perfectly: “Both companies are growing, and we found each other in that journey.”
