TRACTEBEL TRANSFORMS COMPLEX WORKFLOW WITH INEIGHT DOCUMENT CONTROL
Creating a culture of collaboration with an improved approach to document management
Tractebel is a global engineering and consulting company that delivers integrated solutions for sustainable energy and environmental projects. The firm is part of the ENGIE Group, a leader in low-carbon energy and services. Their work spans markets such as nuclear, renewables, power and gas, electrical grids, hydropower, complex buildings, waterways, and more. With 150 years of experience and a team of 5,500 global experts, Tractebel connects strategy, engineering, digital tools, and environmental studies to help public and private partners create lasting impact.
TRACTEBEL AT A GLANCE
LOCATION:
Brussels, Belguim
INDUSTRY:
Engineering services
EMPLOYEES:
5,600+
INEIGHT PRODUCTS:
InEight Document
As Tractebel expanded, its needs were outgrowing its internal system for document management and document control. They turned to InEight Document to help simplify project communication and increase efficiency, significantly reducing manual workload and review times. More importantly, InEight Document helped spark a cultural shift, empowering Tractebel teams to move from roadblocks to solutions through smarter, more collaborative project execution.
SOLUTION BENEFITS:
Efficient management of thousands of documents under a single source of controlled project truth
Streamlined access to project data to enhance collaboration with external vendors
Eliminated manual tasks for time-saving project execution
INCREASED DOCUMENT LOAD HIGHLIGHTS NEED FOR BETTER SOLUTION
As Tractebel began taking on more complex projects, its internal systems were no longer keeping pace with its growing needs. Acting as the owner’s engineer across multiple initiatives, Tractebel was responsible for reviewing and managing a high volume of contractor documents. At the time, Tractebel was using an in-house solution for document control, which was part of a larger corporate system. But as processes became more technical, that system couldn't handle the increased document load. Communication became fragmented across project teams.
“InEight Document has really released the document controller to become a proper document controller and not just data input. It frees up my time to actually do things that are useful for project execution.”
- Eileen McGillivray-Ahmidan, Document Management System Single Point of Contact at Tractebel
The older system’s security protocols also made it difficult for outside users to access the system and upload and view documents directly. This created extra administrative work for Tractebel’s internal teams, who had to manually upload files, input data, and manage all communication with external parties. It became clear that Tractebel needed a robust document management platform that could support better collaboration and grant secure external access as needed. As Stéphane Marchand, Head of Transmission and Distribution, puts it: “It’s quite fundamental to have a good document management system.” With InEight Document in place, Tractabel has transformed its document control function. “InEight Document has really released the document controller to become a proper document controller and not just data input. It frees up my time to actually do things that are useful for project execution,” says Eileen McGillivray-Ahmidan, Document Management System Single Point of Contact at Tractebel.
ACCESSIBLE DOCUMENT CONTROL BOOSTS CONNECTIVITY
Tractabel explored InEight based on recommendations from trusted partners. "We found that InEight Document is more user-friendly for the kind of projects we are performing,” Marchand says. One of Tractebel’s key goals in adopting InEight Document was to shift the team’s mindset about how they worked – not just a software change but an entire transformation. That move paid off: accessibility and collaboration have improved significantly since migrating to InEight Document.
“Using a system that is easily and securely accessed by more than one party at the same time has truly been the biggest benefit.”
- Eileen McGillivray-Ahmidan, Document Management System Single Point of Contact at Tractebel
“Previously, accessing our in-house system was possible for contractors but was not an easy thing to do,” explains McGillivray-Ahmidan, Document Management System Single Point of Contact at Tractebel. This headache led to growing issues within the subcontracting companies. Eventually, Tractebel’s team resorted to taking on the tasks of uploading, data input, management and communication – which was extremely labor intensive, McGillivray-Ahmidan points out. Now they’re able to juggle dozens of projects live in InEight Document at one time with many collaborators on each project working in real time, including external contractors. “Using a system that is easily and securely accessed by more than one party at the same time has truly been the biggest benefit,” McGillivray-Ahmidan says.
FLEXIBLE SOLUTION STREAMLINES DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT
FLEXIBILITY AND SUPPORT
InEight quickly proved to be “a time-saving and flexible tool,” Marchand says, particularly during critical moments like the COVID-19 pandemic and meeting GDPR compliance. And as Tractebel’s use of InEight Document expands, the functionality has also advanced in each product release. “The development and the functionality of InEight Document have really evolved enormously,” McGillivray-Ahmidan shares.
“The project management team is also able to save time not having to do the follow-up on these tasks because the system assists us. Having done this job for over 30 years, this is a huge step forward.”
- Eileen McGillivray-Ahmidan, Document Management System Single Point of Contact at Tractebel
SIGNIFICANT TIME SAVINGS
Prior to integrating InEight Document, the full review cycle for one document – from the moment Tractebel’s team received it until the moment it could be released – was 35 minutes. Today, that workflow has been reduced to 7 minutes. As McGillivray-Ahmidan says: “Between all of the different steps the engineer had to do and processing the document for a document controller, everybody was quite shocked at how long it used to take.”
INEIGHT DOCUMENT
Tractebel improved workflows with InEight Document
More than 2,000 people are working in one secure system.
Tractebel’s document review cycle has been cut from 35 minutes to 7 with InEight.
Today, Document is helping Tractebel seamlessly manage and controls documents across their 2,000+ userbase. “Within the first couple months of roll-out on a project, we could see differences. It also assists with more rapid approval of things,” McGillivray-Ahmidan says. Built-in reporting tools help simplify communication. Within InEight, Tractebel can now generate easy-to-navigate reports to regularly share with project stakeholders, keeping everyone on the same page. Time-saving features like bulk uploads for comment sheets have reduced manual data entry and freed up valuable time. “The project management team is also able to save time not having to do the follow-up on these tasks because the system assists us. Having done this job for over 30 years, this is a huge step forward,” McGillivray-Ahmidan shares.
EMPOWERING TRACTEBEL FOR THE FUTURE
For McGillivray-Ahmidan, there is no question about the impact of using InEight Document: “It saved my life.” Thanks to InEight, her job has evolved significantly in the last several years, giving her time back to focus on other aspects of project execution. Marchand continues to hear positive feedback from his team about InEight Document compared to other solutions used by partners, and he commends InEight’s customer-first approach. As he notes, “I’m satisfied as a user but also as a customer. We appreciate the way that InEight has treated us as a client, always trying to find a solution and listening to our needs.” Looking ahead, Tractebel is working to integrate InEight Document more deeply into their workflows, increasing scalability and minimizing the need for McGillivray-Ahmidan to be the single point of contact.
“InEight makes it easy to convince project teams that there is a solution that is quicker, better, simpler. People now think they can pass barriers, instead of just accepting there’s a barrier and nothing can be done. Especially in document control, that’s a vital issue.”
- Eileen McGillivray-Ahmidan, Document Management System Single Point of Contact at Tractebel
Early successes have compounded a cultural mindset shift for the entire company. Rather than focusing on roadblocks, Tractebel teams have been empowered by Document’s flexibility and support to find solutions. “I've particularly noticed in the last two or three projects, I see project teams coming to me when they have an issue and instead of just saying, ‘I can't do that. It can't be done,’ we’re saying ‘let’s find a way’,” McGillivray-Ahmidan says. She adds: “InEight makes it easy to convince project teams that there is a solution that is quicker, better, simpler. People now think they can pass barriers, instead of just accepting there’s a barrier and nothing can be done. Especially in document control, that’s a vital issue. There’s always a solution out there.”
ABOUT INEIGHT
InEight is a leader in construction project controls software, empowering over 850 companies taking on challenging projects in industries including construction and engineering; transportation infrastructure; mining; water; power and renewables; and oil, gas and chemical. Uniquely suited to capital construction and other complex work, our integrated, modular software manages projects worth over $1 trillion globally, taking control of project information management, costs, schedules, contracts, and construction operations, and delivering insights with advanced analytics and AI. InEight's solutions adapt and scale to meet the dynamic needs of modern construction, driving operational excellence and successful project outcomes. For more information, follow InEight on LinkedIn or visit InEight.com. © 2026 InEight, Inc. All Rights Reserved