Brazilian cooperative of SAP consultants choose Flanders as gateway to the EU

From Belgium to serve Europe. That’s what André Garrocini and his colleagues from Coopersap thought when they decided to base their SAP consulting cooperative in Flanders. “The idea is to have no other subsidiaries. The only point of service will be Belgium for the whole Europe. Belgium is our gateway,” says Garrocini to Belga News Agency.

Founded in 2019, Coopersap works on a cooperative business model for SAP consulting. Today it has 72 consultants (and counting) in different countries, directly serving over 30 customers worldwide. SAP is a leading producer of software for the management of business processes. It connects businesses into an intelligent digital platform, with module including human resources, finance and sales.

Even though Coopersap did not have a need for a physical structure, since all consultants work from home, the cooperative considered the Corda Campus, near the city of Hasselt, the ideal place to base their EU office.

Flemish support

Through the work of the Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) in Brazil, Coopersap got to know about the Belgian incentives for foreign enterprises.

Dirk Schamphelaere and Claudia Rolim, FIT representatives in Brazil, invited Coopersap to participate in the ‘International Tech Virtual Mission’, a 3-day virtual event where experts presented the benefits of Flanders to international companies looking to expand their business.

“Corda Campus is Flanders’ leading international campus in the fields of technology, high-tech, ICT and media. With Coopersap, it welcomes yet another innovative company to its business and innovation community,” says Rolim.

Flanders region felt like a great choice to the SAP cooperative. According to Garrocini, there has been a change in the tax legislation, allowing reduced VAT and benefits for hiring the first employee.

The Brazilian enterprise is currently offering a vacancy through VDAB (Flemish Service for Employment and Vocational Training in English) website to find a new Belgian colleague to join as SAP consultant.

International cooperation

The fact that Belgium is a welcoming country for multinationals, multilingual and with a well-known history in international trade seemed to be the right match. “We found it sensational. It had everything to do with our goals. We also wanted an impartial country, that is well regarded by Europe, that does not have restrictions and disaffections,” remarks Garrocini.

From Brazil, Coopersap promises to bring high professionalism wrapped in a cozy embrace, rich in client attention. “There are European consultants who tell us that the market in Europe is not so engaged with the customer’s problem,” reveals Garrocini. “We are very much about embracing, understanding the whole and doing a little more, which sometimes costs nothing, given the context, but makes a lot of difference for the customer, who feels taken care of,” explains the Brazilian consultant.

It also includes showing the customer better and cheaper solutions. “It is common to receive requests in which we explain to the client that s/he does not need to do this or spend that amount of money. And customers appreciate this more correct service," promises Garrocini.

(VIV)

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