From manual work to automation with smart integrations – bridging HR, payroll and local compliance.
At Chemgas, Information Manager Frans Mandersloot and Manager Finance & Administration Richard Blok are driving the digital transformation of HR and financial processes. Together, they led the transition to a new HR and payroll ecosystem. The reason? Outdated software, excessive manual work, and a complex payroll for their international fleet.
Thanks to the integration platform BrynQ, they transformed this challenge into a sustainable, well-functioning solution.
About Chemgas
Chemgas is a market leader in transporting pressurized liquefied gases on inland and coastal waterways across Northwest and Southern Europe. A true family business with a down-to-earth Rotterdam mindset, Chemgas employs around 365 people: about 200 in inland shipping, 120 in maritime, and 45 at the Rotterdam head office. They deliver tailor-made logistics solutions with a strong focus on safety, the environment, and technology.
Challenge: from outdated software to a future-proof system
When it became clear that their payroll software would no longer be supported, Frans and Richard knew change was needed. The old system, though once customized to their processes, had become outdated.
“Our payroll system was still running on software from the 1980s,” Richard explains. “It once fit our needs perfectly, but it was now completely obsolete.”
Frans had long recognized the need for change: “Processing payroll manually for our inland crew, who sail under the Luxembourg flag, was both error-prone and time-consuming. Each month, we sent data to Luxembourg where it had to be retyped. That had to change.” In 2022, they began the search for a new solution, ultimately selecting AFAS as the core HR system. The go-live date was January 1, 2024.
Left: Frans Mandersloot, right: Richard Blok
Smart integrations for international payroll
Chemgas required a non-standard technical setup. “We needed a system to handle standard employee data and complete Dutch payroll,” Richard says. “But we also had a unique situation: our inland crew pay income tax in the Netherlands, yet their social premiums go to Luxembourg. We wanted to run the calculations here but needed a local partner for filing. Thanks to BrynQ, we connected with our Luxembourg payroll partner RSM.”
Custom-built solutions
Richard explains: “We first developed a custom crew registration solution through a software company Frans is partnered with. It records who is working on which ship, their rank, and hours worked—input directly by the crew. This is crucial for planning and payroll.”
With BrynQ, this data now flows directly into AFAS, where it links to various payroll adjustments. The data is then forwarded to RSM, which returns payslips that are uploaded back into each employee’s AFAS file—automatically via BrynQ.
“It’s a huge step forward. Just last year, payslips were still sent by post,” Richard adds. Even Marad Crewing, the software used to track crew certifications, is now linked to AFAS, saving HR staff significant time.
More efficiency and clarity
Since implementing AFAS and integrating various systems, Chemgas has seen a dramatic shift. Processes once dominated by paper and manual input are now digital and automated.
Proud of the result
Looking back, both Frans and Richard are proud. “We’re most proud that the first payroll went almost flawlessly,” Richard says. “Employee salaries have to be correct—no room for error. And we did it.”
Frans adds, “Everything was ready on time, which was critical since our old system was being shut down. What we envisioned years ago is now reality. We’re very pleased with the outcome.”
