One central approach for dozens of operating companies
Business Central has played an important role within VolkerWessels' Construction & Real Estate Development division for many years. As the use of the ERP platform continued to grow, so did the complexity of authorization management. Not only did the number of users increase, the need for control, compliance, and segregation of duties also became more and more important.
For André Roeland, this meant there was a need for a solution that went beyond the standard capabilities of Business Central. The organization wanted to prevent users from being granted overly broad permissions, while the operating companies needed to retain enough freedom to organize their day-to-day operations efficiently. “If you want to organize this at scale, you have to take a different approach than relying on Business Central's standard functionality alone. We looked at several solutions, and 2-Controlware turned out to be the best match for us.”
What tipped the scales was the combination of flexibility and control. While many solutions start from top-down governance, Authorization Box makes it possible to keep responsibilities close to the business without losing oversight.
The right balance between autonomy and control
One of the biggest advantages of Authorization Box is that VolkerWessels Construction & Real Estate Development works from a single central organizational structure. As a result, authorizations are managed consistently across all operating companies, while local teams remain responsible for their day-to-day user management.
For a limited number of critical roles, central control remains in place. Who is granted extensive permissions is closely monitored, and the superuser role is only assigned in exceptional cases, after explicit approval from the head office. “We don't need to manage everything centrally, but we do keep the overview. That builds trust and ensures everyone can work within clear agreements.”
This approach ensures that responsibilities stay where they belong, while risks can be monitored centrally.
Always prepared for audits and reviews
In addition to authorization management, segregation of duties plays a crucial role within VolkerWessels Construction & Real Estate Development. Using the monitoring functionality of Authorization Box, the organization actively checks that users don't combine conflicting permissions, and segregation of duties is monitored on a structural basis, supported by monthly reports and additional checks whenever needed.
That monitoring doesn't just benefit IT. Finance, external accountants, and auditors also expect segregation of duties to be demonstrably monitored. Questions about this come up every year during the audit of the annual financial statements and during ISO audits. “And when those questions come, we're always prepared. We can always show how the permissions are set up and how we monitor them. That makes audits and reviews a lot easier.”
As a result, the organization has the insights and reports it needs at any moment to answer questions quickly and with solid substantiation. That means more transparency, fewer risks, and a stronger audit position.
Protecting critical settings and safeguarding data quality
Alongside Authorization Box, VolkerWessels Construction & Real Estate Development also uses Field Security and Field Validation. These solutions control not only who has access to certain data, but also which changes users are allowed to make. Field Security protects sensitive settings within Business Central against unwanted changes. Accounting configurations in particular have a major impact on processes and reporting, which is why they are monitored centrally. Field Validation, in turn, supports data quality. By recording data in a consistent way, information remains reliable and usable across all operating companies.
Together, these solutions form an important addition to authorization management and help keep the Business Central environment secure and manageable.
A solution that works, a partner that thinks with you
André is also very positive about the collaboration with 2-Controlware. During the initial setup, support was provided in configuring the solution, after which BVGO-ICT was able to take on management largely independently. “Response times are very short. You often get an answer to a question within minutes. You can tell there's a lot of in-house knowledge and that they really think things through with you,” André says.
Reliable, solid, and constructive. That's how André describes the collaboration with 2-Controlware. That combination of stable software, short lines of communication, and in-depth expertise results in high satisfaction. André rates the collaboration between 8 and 9 out of 10.
Today, thanks to Authorization Box, Field Security, and Field Validation, VolkerWessels Construction & Real Estate Development has a solid foundation for authorization management, segregation of duties, security, and compliance within Business Central. That means
