SDF Horti Software offers customized software solutions for nurseries, from inventory management to order processing. With our reliable and user-friendly systems, you can rely on smooth operations. From planning to labor registration.
“We can distribute orders much more evenly throughout the morning”
Tholen - Plantenkwekerij Valstar receives many orders every day that do not immediately fill an entire trolley. Customers regularly order smaller quantities, layers or partial trolleys. Since the beginning of this year, the company has been using Hortiload, a new functionality within SDF’s Hortiflow platform, to process these orders more efficiently. According to Tim Breugem, director of Plantenkwekerij Valstar, this mainly provides greater overview and peace of mind in daily order processing.
Valstar produces approximately 10 million potted plants and 2.5 to 3 million vegetable plants annually across three locations. SDF has been the company’s software supplier for plant-related processes for many years. With Hortiload, a functionality has been added that helps combine smaller orders into more efficiently loaded trolleys."In the past, we had to calculate ourselves when a trolley was full and which orders could be combined," says Tim. "Now we enter the orders into Hortiload and the system calculates the most efficient load for us."
The system takes different products and pot sizes into account. Once a full trolley has been assembled, it can be released and produced immediately.
More peace of mind in daily trading
Especially in daily trading, Valstar notices the difference. Whereas employees previously had to wait until the order deadline had passed before they could process orders, orders can now be released in stages throughout the morning.
"In the past, we could only start processing orders around 9:30 a.m., and we never knew whether more orders would still come in. Now we can release the first orders at 7:30 a.m., allowing the people on the work floor to start packing straight away. Around 9:45 or 10:00 a.m., we release the last trolley."
This allows the workload to be spread more evenly throughout the morning. It also creates greater clarity on the work floor. "For us, a trolley is a trolley. Once it has been released, it doesn't change anymore. A packed trolley is a packed trolley. That means people no longer have to think about whether it can be shipped or not."
Valstar processes an average of around one hundred trolleys per day. According to Tim, Hortiload also saves time in the office. "In the past, you might have had an order with 80 or 90 order lines. You constantly had to count how many begonias could fit on a trolley. Now the system combines everything and also takes the item number into account. That is much easier than it used to be."
Combine Orders
The system also offers advantages for transport. By combining smaller customer orders, trolleys can be filled more efficiently. This also applies to orders coming from Valstar’s three locations, which are situated within two kilometres of each other.
"A trolley going to the auction costs serious money these days. If you can combine two or three orders, that can make a significant difference over the course of a year."
At the same time, Valstar remains in control of deciding when a trolley is dispatched. Some customers finish ordering early, while others regularly add items after the order deadline. Hortiload helps strike the right balance between a fully loaded trolley and timely delivery.
Combining different products on a single trolley also creates opportunities for smaller customers. "Ultimately, you want to be able to fill a trolley with three or four different products. That way, a customer does not only have to order begonias, but can fill a trolley with begonias, chrysanthemums, asters and celosias, for example. In the end, we offer a diverse assortment for our customers."
Meanwhile, SDF continues to develop new functionalities within Hortiflow. One of the developments currently underway is a single packing slip per trolley that can be scanned during the final inspection, helping to speed up the checking process and further reduce paper usage.
Source: BPnieuws
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