Naturally we work for our 142 clients. In addition, we have intensive contact with organizations that, like us, know the construction sector inside and out, and we contribute to collaboration and digitalization.
Since our foundation, we have been involved in various organizations in construction and IT. Acceleration and digitization of construction requires cooperation. That is why we consciously look for partners who complement us.
The Ketenstandaard Foundation (Dutch for Chain Standards) maintains various standards for construction. STABU2 and NL/SfB are important to Utopis Specifications and our clients use ETIM and DICO to classify and distribute product data. Our roots lie in the development of STABU and so the contacts between both organizations can be called warm.
Many of Utopis’ clients have a RAW specification service. RAW is maintained by the C.R.O.W., the knowledge institute for ground, road and hydraulic engineering in The Netherlands.
Together with SalesFeed we developed Utopis Insights, a perfect way to map the business users of your online tools. SalesFeed is a Hilversum-based club of people with a passion for online returns. SalesFeed has been offering scalable services for recognizing your prospects, customers and other visitors for years.
Together with CSN Group, part of Interstellar, we ensure that Utopis remains up and running. Our data and that of our 142 clients are safe in the data centers of Interxion (Amsterdam) and Previder (Twente). Both CSN Group and Interxion are ISO 27001 and ISO 22301 certified.
Together with Ketenstandaard and KOMO we maintain the search portal Bouwspex.nl. The online portal, formerly known as Bestekservices.nl, is successful in distributing construction specifications. The index contains references to product specifications, system solutions, specification texts and certificates from almost all suppliers in the construction industry.
Utopis is a member of the BNB, the Professional Association for Dutch Building Specification Experts, and FBS, an interest group for manufacturers of building materials. We helped set up both associations and we are still closely involved.
“Until 2014 I worked for one of our clients. Here I was responsible for managing product information and website. ZeeBoer provided our specification texts. When we were ready for a new website in 2005-2006, Utopis was introduced. One of my first achievements was entering all product information in Utopis. That was great: all product information in one database.”
Peter has a background in data and information systems: “After hotel school, I started studying business management in Utrecht, where I chose information systems as a study variant. I developed websites at an early age and set up databases for more efficient use of product information.”
Peter was also involved in the development of Utopis PIM on behalf of the client. He developed various ideas together with Reindert de Boer, Maarten Hopman and Jeroen Jongebloed. Ideas that make Utopia software that has been developed for and by the construction manufacturer.
“In 2014 Reindert de Boer asked why I didn’t work at ZeeBoer yet and I made the switch. I have never regretted this. The best thing about ZeeBoer is that we can think along with manufacturers because we employ structural engineers,” says Peter.
When Reindert and Margreet indicated in 2016 that they wanted to stop, I decided to take over the company. Colleague Antoon Siebert has been co-owner since 2018. “I’m still very happy with this as well.”
