Projects and Services

Designed to be an engineer

A story of diversification

Cofely Fabricom is the ultimate reference in terms of innovative, multi-technical installations

and services. The group’s expertise includes a wide range of disciplines such as electrical

engineering, instrumentation, mechanical engineering, piping, automation and mainte-

nance. This diversification gives additional advantages in the sectors in which the group

operates: from infrastructure, buildings, industry and energy to oil and gas.

Fabricom was established in 1946 as an SME focused almost exclusively on electrical

installations. As from the 50s, the company began to diversify, with the production and

installation of pipelines, poles for power lines, nuclear power plants, gas terminal modules...

From 1980 onwards, the group embarked on a European conquest with new technologies

such as production automation, networks, fibreglass, composites and security installations.

Today Cofely Fabricom – the adjusted name was established in 2012 – is the leading Euro-

pean expert in the field of technical installations. As part of the GDF SUEZ Energy Services,

Cofely Fabricom integrates a wide range of multi-disciplinary skills. With more than 5,000

employees these are converted into total solutions for clients from various sectors. The

Process Solutions department plays a key role in the field of industrial automation and ICT.

In Belgium alone, 150 engineers provide a full service every day: from conceptual design

and detailed engineering to project realization and services with a 24/7 standby service.

Gert Thys, Business Development Manager: “Process Solutions in Belgium is divided into

the North and the South. In the northern section, we employ 80 engineers across our

offices in Genk and Zwijndrecht, near Antwerp. Here we develop solutions for automotive,

(nuclear) energy, pharmaceuticals, engineering, food and beverages, manufacturing, logi-

stics and cranes. Based on its vast experience, Genk focuses on discontinuous produc-

tion processes. Zwijndrecht, on the other hand, focuses more on clients with continuous

production processes.”

Continuous and discontinuous

“Continuous and discontinuous production processes require a completely different ap-

proach,” says Thierry Monsieur, Section Manager Industrial Automation Genk. “In discon-

tinuous processes, we must realize the projects during downtime. This means that the

deadlines are very short, which is logical. A production stop will cost our customers a lot of

money, and so we must limit the downtime to a minimum. This is also the reason why there

is a panel building department in Genk. It’s a matter of running both engineering and panel

building simultaneously, in order to shorten the realization time of the project. In contrast,

projects in the continuous industry usually run according to a fixed plan, and have a very

long and intensive preparation period. They are less hectic, but subject to complex and

stringent standards. This brings with it a lot of additional documentation.”

Symbiosis

Thierry Monsieur: “Despite their different approach, Genk and Zwijndrecht work together

very closely. Both engineering teams have competences that are complementary and they

mutually reinforce each other. The result: a high capacity, a continuous symbiosis of ideas

and vast internal knowledge. We like our clients to benefit from this intensive collaboration.

In recent years it has resulted in a loyal customer base. Over the years, we have evolved

alongside our clients. Where we used to realize mainly local projects, today already 40% of

our projects are outside Belgium.”

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Projects and Services

Continuous symbiosis of ideas

Great job satisfaction

The central position of the engineers also has a positive effect

on the engineers themselves. Thierry Monsieur: “The flat

organizational structure, short communication lines, variety

of work, direct involvement ... This all translates into a high

degree of job satisfaction. As a result, we have a low staff

turnover. An additional reason for our excellent staff retention

is the fact that we invest a lot in knowledge and in the best

possible tools for carrying out the job.”

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Focus on the engineer

One of the reasons for this customer loyalty is the unique

position of the engineer. Gert Thys: “A dedicated project

manager provides a single point of contact for clients.

And from day 1 the automation engineer also takes

shared ownership. Apart from direct customer contact, he

collaborates intensely with other departments with regard

to the electrical and mechanical on-site installations. The

hardware engineer is also fully involved. He is responsible

for all the hardware engineering, which includes the

design and informing the panel builder. By participating

in on-site I/O testing and commissioning, he is perfectly

placed to assess the impact of his design on the different

departments.”

Gert Thys continues: “Quality is our trademark. It is not

only a customer requirement, it is also important to us. In

many cases, after the projects have been realized, we also

provide the PLC maintenance of the systems. After all, our

core business is all about the clients’ technical installations.

We need to take away any worries the client might have,

and enable him to concentrate on his own core activity:

production.”

EPLAN Software & Services NV/SA

Bosstraat 54 ∙ B-3560 Lummen

Tel +32 (0) 13 53 96 96 ∙ Fax +32 (0) 13 53 96 99

E-mail: sales@eplan.be ∙ www.eplan.be

EPLAN Software & Services B.V.

Hengelder 56 · NL-6900 AE Zevenaar

Tel: + 31 (0) 316 591 770 · Fax: + 31 (0) 316 591 749

E-mail: sales@eplan.nl · www.eplan.nl

Projects and Services

Towards an EPLAN Certified Company

One of the supporting systems used is EPLAN. “Because we involve our hardware engineers in the projects from the very

beginning, EPLAN is an important tool,” says Thierry Monsieur. “Starting from the initial phase, all technical installations are

detailed in EPLAN. So it is used from basic engineering right up to final documentation.”

Although Cofely Fabricom expects all-round knowledge from its engineers, they still insist on one specific specialization.

Gert Thys: “In order to validate this knowledge and quality, we aim to be an EPLAN Certified Company. This is why it is

important that we have the necessary EPLAN Certified Engineers available. Our internal EPLAN working group is an ideal

platform for sharing this knowledge with other colleagues. The group watches over the internal EPLAN standard and the

implementation of EPLAN technologies such as EPLAN Electric P8, EPLAN Pro Panel and EPLAN Engineering Center

One.”

“EPLAN supports this knowledge-sharing. We notice that other Cofely Fabricom departments liaise with the working

group. Cofely Fabricom employs more than 200 trained EPLAN users who, on a daily basis, use more than 50 EPLAN

licences.”

Guy Willems, EPLAN Strategic Account Manager for Cofely Fabricom

“I have noticed that the EPLAN Certified Engineer course gives our engineers extra motivation. For our company this is

recognition for our years of investing in people and professional tools.”

Gert Thys, Business Development Manager Cofely Fabricom Process Solutions

“Because of the many years of experience our hardware engineers have with EPLAN, the system is used intensively. From

basic engineering through to detailed design.”

Thierry Monsieur, Section Manager Cofely Fabricom Process Solutions

Find out more about Cofely Fabricom at www.cofelyfabricom-gdfsuez.com10

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