Inspiration
The transformation of front-of-house: the heart of the modern workplace
In a world where work dynamics are ever-changing, front-of-house – the area immediately accessible to both visitors and employees – continues to play a pivotal role in every office.
Read moreSuccessful Summer Party in a radiant Vondelpark
Finally we could do it again! Our first summer staff party without COVID19 restrictions - for many new staff members the first Summer Party ever - took place on 29 September. An unforgettable evening of enjoyment together, as evidenced by the video below.
Read moreCycling adventure from Antwerp to Amsterdam: the first Tour d'Armonia against childhood cancer
Friday 22 September 2023 was a special day for Armonia Benelux: colleagues from Receptel and bouwens& rode together the very first Tour d'Armonia, an impressive bike ride against child cancer.
Read moreA day in the life of a Senior Planner
Solving a complex puzzle is what staff scheduling is most like. For this reason, more and more companies are employing a planner. At bouwens&, Anne-Roos de Vaal (29) fulfils this role. What exactly does a Senior Planner do at our company, and what challenges does this position bring?
Read moreIntegrated Facility Management according to bouwens&
Choosing facility service suppliers that are right for your office can be a time-consuming and daunting task. Are you considering separate service providers for each facility task? Or do you favour a single supplier that can offer an integrated solution? This article explores the practice and benefits of the integrated solution, also known as Integrated Facility Management.
Read moreTour d'Armonia: cycling together against cancer
On 22 September, both our employees and our clients and partners will swap office chairs for bicycle saddles: together we will ride the Tour d'Armonia!
Read morebouwens& Pride 2023: the freedom to be yourself
Pride Amsterdam from the 1st to the 6st of August 2023 is not just any event. It symbolises the open and tolerant city that Amsterdam wants to be. The meaning of Pride - the freedom to be yourself - ties in with what we at bouwens& stand for.
Read moreFrom student job to strong brand: bouwens& celebrates its 20th anniversary
As a host in his father's funeral home, Michael Bouwens discovered the power of personal service at the age of 16. His next side job led him to his own company, a facility service provider.
Read moreInternational Childhood Cancer Day
Today is International Childhood Cancer Day - a day when we highlight all young cancer patients.
Read moreFirst Winter Party a big succes!
Friday the 13th an unlucky day? Not for our staff, with whom on 13 January we ushered in a year that actually promises to bring us good luck. After covid-19 made the traditional Summer Party impossible three years in a row, we kicked off 2023 in a delightful way together.
Read moreFirst FM New Year's event offers food for thought
A Kinepolis cinema hall at Westfield Mall of The Netherlands, one of our most non-typical Dutch clients, recently provided the ideal backdrop for our first Facility Management New Year's reception. Guest of honour André Kuipers took to the big screen for a presentation of stature.
Read moreJanneke Vink new Finance Manager at bouwens&
The bouwens& team was expanded on 1 September with the qualities and experience of Finance Manager Janneke Vink.
Read moreArmonia acquires Receptel
Armonia Group acquires Receptel, the market leader in hospitality and reception services in Belgium. Receptel has existed since 2000 and was owned by RGF Staffing.
Read more‘Security guards, receptionists and cleaning too dependent on the good will of clients’
Raising and maintaining salaries of security guards and other facility service providers requires agreements with the companies that hire the employees. This need not be complicated, writes Michael Bouwens.
Read moreNo more “just another day at the office”!
In the modern, challenging labour market, the competition for the best people is fiercer than ever. Talented and well-educated employees often have a wide choice of jobs and expect employers to provide the best possible working environment. In addition, returning to the office after COVID is certainly not a given everywhere. At bouwens&, we know these challenges and know how to create an office where employees and guests like to (return to) come. This is why bouwens& presents several new services, such as Integrated Facility Management, Concierge & Lifestyle Services, and Business Support. So your office too can be a distinctive answer to a changing labour market and the new balance between working from home and the office.
Read moreFamily-owned Armonia now sets foot in the Netherlands
At the end of 2021, Dutch bouwens& and the Belgian-Luxembourg branch of Armonia merged. Since then, bouwens& has been the Benelux brand of the Paris-based multinational. An excellent time to speak with Guillaume Amar (CEO of Armonia) and Michael Bouwens (Director in the Benelux). They discuss the family business, its strategy, and European developments.
Read morePrincess Máxima Center chooses bouwens& once again
The Princess Máxima Center for pediatric oncology recently renewed its contract for security services with bouwens&. Since 2018, the Security Hosts from bouwens& have been supporting the doctors, nurses and researchers at the centre in their mission: to cure every child with cancer, with optimal quality of life.
Read moreBouwens& returns to Amsterdam-South
We are moving into a new office! And it is a characteristic, historic building in the heart of Amsterdam-South.
Read moreBouwens& and Armonia merge
The Dutch bouwens& and the Belgian-Luxembourg branch of Armonia have merged. The combination will continue as bouwens& in the Benelux and will be led by Michael Bouwens, CEO and founder of bouwens&.
Read moreFormer executive driver Bram (75): "I look back on the best time of my life."
This year, Bram (75) took his leave as an executive chauffeur at Bouwens Chauffeursdiensten. For the past 13 years, he drove the CFO of a Dutch multinational at home and abroad practically every day of the week. When the top executive retired, Bram also felt it was time to quit. "We left together," he says.
Read moreNew website for Bouwens Chauffeursdiensten: high-end service and 100% climate-neutral executive chauffeur services
At Bouwens Chauffeurdiensten, we certainly did not sit still during the corona pandemic. On the contrary, we have a new website, a new online reservation system and offer 100% climate-neutral executive transport.
Read moreBouwens& presents: the Multifunctional Desk
The office is becoming a meeting place, that much is clear. For this reason, COO Tessa de Grijff explains the Multifunctional Desk: “It's the reception of the future.”
Read more“Bouwens& is a stubborn company – in the most positive sense of the word.”
At bouwens& they like to invest plenty of time in finding the right people. And they do so for a reason: the employees are the company’s main asset. COO Tessa de Grijff spoke with psychologist and advisor Guus Mannaerts, who has been supporting bouwens& since forever in the field of human resources.
Read moreNieuwe strategie
“Onze missie is niet veranderd, maar we beseffen ons dat we altijd moeten blijven nadenken over hoe we deze invullen. ...
Facility Management 3.0
In a digital meeting we spoke with the facility management of the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) about the impact COVID-19 is having on the world of facility services. What happened, what changed, and what will the future look like? Here’s a review with some of our findings.
Read moreARRIVED@: the platform for all your facility services
Datagedreven facility management draagt substantieel bij aan de resultaten van kernactiviteiten en steeds meer bedrijven beseffen dit. Download de whitepaper en ontdek hoe ook jullie kunnen kiezen voor de facilitaire dienstverlening van de toekomst.
Read moreEfficiënte implementatie van een unieke klantbeleving in je facility management (handleiding)
De Customer Experience (CX), oftewel de totale beleving van bezoekers, is waar het in het kantoor van de toekomst om draait. Hoe bereikt jullie facilitaire dienstverlening een unieke Customer Experience? Het antwoord lees je in deze handleiding.
Read moreInvisible and indispensable
One of the positive side-effects of this pandemic is that we’re being confronted with the indispensability of nurses, doctors, scientists, police force and certainly also security guards.
Read moreAvondbeveiligers - een veilige omgeving op de stille uren
Avondbeveiligers zijn zeer ervaren en gediplomeerde beveiligers die op de stille uren over uw medewerkers, gebouwen en bezittingen waken.
Read moreThe Age of the Specialist
Tessa de Grijff (COO) writes about the shift in the facility market from large, full-service IFM service providers to specialists.
Read moreVier suggesties om je kantoor future-proof in te richten
Het kantoor verandert snel van een reguliere werkomgeving in een moderne ontmoetingsplek. Hoe faciliteren jullie medewerkers en gasten optimaal in de kantooromgeving van het nieuwe normaal? Hoe maken jullie van hospitality en dienstverlening een usp?
Read more“If anything, the office will become more important”
Facto is Holland’s leading facility management and corporate housing platform. They asked Michael Bouwens to discuss the trends for 2021.
Read morebouwens& multi-tenant gebouwen
Tessa de Grijff is COO bij bouwens&, specialist op het gebied van hospitality- en beveiligingsdiensten. Zij vertelt over het bijzondere karakter ...
bouwens& guest journey
Kirsten Stoeltie is Manager Operations bij bouwens&, marktleider in hospitality- en receptiediensten. Zij vertelt hoe de perfecte guest journey eruit ziet ...
bouwens& outsourcen receptiediensten
Eva Varenina is Manager Operations bij bouwens&, marktleider in hospitality- en receptiediensten. Zij vertelt over de voordelen van het outsourcen van ...
Bouwens& is one of the top facility service providers in the Netherlands
This summer, Facto Magazine presented the results of its 'Partner of Choice 2020' survey. With a listing in the top ten, bouwens& is one of the best facility service providers in the Netherlands.
Read morebouwens& beveiliging in de zorg
Sander van Breukelen is Security Manager bij bouwens&, marktleider in hospitality- en beveiligingsdiensten. Bouwens& is onder meer actief in het ...
bouwens& wow-factor
Michael Bouwens is oprichter en CEO van bouwens&, specialist op het gebied van hospitality- en receptiediensten. Bekijk de video om ...
bouwens& diversiteit
Tessa de Grijff is COO van bouwens&, specialist op het gebied van hospitality- en beveiligingsdiensten. Zij legt uit waarom diversiteit ...
#5 - The office will become a professional clubhouse
Due to the corona virus the role of the office changes: from a functional working environment to an inspiring meeting place. Such an office is actually the 'clubhouse' of a company.
Read moreBNR De Ochtendspits about reception services in the 1.5 meters office
More and more companies are gradually opening up. This means that guests must be received again in the office building. But how does that work at 1.5 meters? Presenter Bas van Werven talks about this with Michael Bouwens.
Read moreAnderhalvemeterwerktbeter.nl: tips & tricks for life at the office in a new reality
Anderhalvemeterwerktbeter.nl (‘six feet works better’) helps anyone who works at the office to deal with the reality of collaboration in the six feet economy.
Read more#4 - Look ahead!
Even for people who are optimists by nature - and I’m one of them - it is not that easy to focus on things that actually go well these days. Yet I’ve made it a personal goal in life to see the glass as half full at all times. Particularly now!
Read more#3 - Solidarity
It is in challenging times that you really get to know people. Interesting things are currently happening in terms of cooperation and partnership.
Read more#2 - Semper paratus
The personal requirements - in terms of character and attitude - to become successful as an entrepreneur have been explained to me at a very young age. But please note: by successful I do not mean achieving a certain financial status or position in society. For me, being successful means...
Read more#1 - Make Your Bed
One of the most noticeable characteristics of these times is that we have become more impatient than ever. Everything has to happen quickly, and it has to happen now. When we want something, we expect to find it online within two minutes, and we want to have it delivered within a day. If not...
Read moreNegative consequences of ‘Wet Arbeidsmarkt in Balans’ underexposed
On 1 January 2020 the new Dutch ‘Wet Arbeidsmarkt in Balans’ or WAB (Labor Market in Balance) will enter into force. The new legislation will have major consequences.
Read moreJoey de Bruin nominated for V-factor
Joey de Bruin, Security Host and Team Leader for Mall of The Netherlands, is nominated for the V-factor security agent of the year award.
Read moreNational Cooperation Week 2019: experiences and findings
In the second week of September many Dutch organizations participated in the so called Nationale MeewerkWeek (“National Cooperation Week”). For one or more days, managers and boards joined employees on their shifts. Bouwens& also participated this year. What did founder and director Michael Bouwens learn?
Read moreAfschaffen BPM-teruggave: moeten we dat laten gebeuren?
Vanaf 1 januari 2020 haalt de overheid een streep door de teruggave van BPM voor auto’s die worden gebruikt voor personenvervoer of - meer specifiek - directievervoer.
Read more"Schiphol laat beveiligers in de kou staan"
Security Management, onafhankelijk platform over professionele beveiliging, publiceerde een opiniestuk van Michael Bouwens over de onenigheid tussen Schiphol en de FNV over de eisen voor aanbesteding van de beveiliging op de luchthaven.
Read moreNational Cooperation Week 2019: side by side with colleague’s in the field
From Monday 9 to Friday 13, 2019 the fourth edition of the National Cooperation Week will take place in the Netherlands. Management teams of numerous companies - committed to being a good employer - work side by side with their employees in the field. Bouwens& is a proud participator in this annual event.
Read moreBouwens& is the exclusive hospitality partner of SAIL Amsterdam 2020
During the biggest nautical event in the world, over 50 hosts and hostesses of bouwens& are present at SAIL’s four primary locations, including SAIL-Village.
Read moreInvisible, yet noticeably present
Beveiligers brengen rust, vaak zonder dat dit direct wordt opgemerkt. Het is wat Michael Bouwens betreft één van de kenmerken van een professionele beveiliger: je voelt dat hij of zij aanwezig is, zonder dat je je daar echt bewust van bent.
Read moreMichael Bouwens on BNR Groeihelden: “We remain focused on being the best employer in the market.”
Extra omzet. Meer medewerkers. Nieuwe markten. Hogere winsten. In BNR Groeihelden vertellen ondernemers hoe zij hun bedrijf laten groeien. Michael Bouwens over het succes van bouwens&.
Read moreBelangstelling voor de mens, ook achter het stuur
Net als de rest van Nederland schrok ik van de berichtgeving over het grote aantal - soms dodelijke - ongevallen waar Uber-chauffeurs bij betrokken zijn. Een belangrijke oorzaak lijkt de grote werkdruk te zijn waar de chauffeurs permanent aan blootstaan. Zij worden geacht zo efficiënt mogelijk te werken, daarbij geholpen door de Uber-app.
Read moreEen blik op 2019: menselijk als overtreffende trap van gastvrij
Het is bijna 2019. Een goed moment om eens vooruit te kijken. Wat gaat er volgend jaar gebeuren in de facilitaire sector? Wat zijn opvallende ontwikkelingen en trends?
Read moreVisitor registration at the reception
It’s important to work with a system that keeps track of who is in the office at all times. Sander van Breukelen, Security Manager at bouwens&, explains why he thinks that visitor registration is always useful.
Read moreThe right conditions for creating the best security agents
Hoe maak je van iemand die in de basis geschikt is om beveiliger te zijn de allerbeste beveiliger? Voor Michael Bouwens zijn er drie randvoorwaarden om mensen in het vak te laten excelleren.
Read moreFlexible Receptionist for bouwens&
Although every client and every office are unique, a Flexible Receptionist does have a certain range of tasks and responsibilities. Vianne van den Boomen, Flexible Receptionist at bouwens&, tells about her work.
Read moreNieuwe CAO Particuliere Beveiliging gaat sector en haar klanten schaden
Natuurlijk lijkt de uitkomst van de recente cao-onderhandelingen in de beveiligingsbranche in beginsel goed nieuws voor zo'n 30.000 beveiligers. Een ogenschijnlijke overwinning. Maar de gevolgen missen elke realiteitszin.
Read more