Together, we develop the best logistics application for the flower bulb sector
Inventory management at Royal van Zanten
“Beam offers huge advantages over other solutions.”
Always real-time insight into the inventory status
That was Royal van Zanten's wish. Because as an ever-growing floriculture company with countless square meters of cold stores, you want to know where the various parties are in storage at any time. Logistical planning must run smoothly, and knowing where what stands is an important link in this. And that link used to be the weakest link:
The inventory was updated once a day in the system using receipts that track movements.
So you could not look up parties that had been moved that day in the system, but you had to look for where they had gone in the receipts, which took at least an hour a day.
Unwieldy complex systems were certainly not pleasant for their own organization to work with, but certainly not for foreign workers.
This regularly caused frustration and also made the logistical process more error-prone.
In short: In the workplace at Royal van Zanten, they ran into the limitations of their system. This had to be different and better.
Intuitive, real-time and error-free inventory insight
Their wishes for a new system:
Intuitively operable, even by foreign speaking employees
Simplicity and clear overviews
Real-time overview for error-free order picking
Deployment in steps possible
Offline operation (even in the back of the cold store!)
However, it was not easy to find a package that met these requirements.
No other package could offer these benefits, and certainly not in the short term.
Search for a suitable inventory management system
When looking for a suitable new solution, there were several setbacks:
Other parties were still developing software, such as Navibol, but the development speed was not high enough and these parties were not specialized in optimizing logistics.
Implementing a new system company-wide in one go often causes major problems. A solution was sought to be able to do this in stages.
In addition, there were wishes for new industry-specific modules. Royal van Zanten wanted to develop it together with the new software partner to choose. This turned out to be impossible for many parties.
Entry Hall - Royal van Zanten
Why did you choose Beam?
At Royal van Zanten, they are clear about it: Beam offers enormous advantages over other solutions. And they can know... Johannes Noor (International Account Manager at Royal van Zanten) says that they looked at several other parties, but always encountered the same restrictions.
Beam was able to meet all needs and also had a completely different approach:
“Beam is different. Because Beam is incredibly flexible and involved, and helped us to think about how certain functionalities can be standardized for all customers in the same industry. Because this way the development costs can be spread.”
For Royal van Zanten, this means that it not only provides greater added value and thus savings compared to other parties in terms of progress, but is also very doable in terms of investment.
Implementation of a new inventory system
The implementation of Beam at Royal van Zanten is a phased process:
First of all, the inventory management of the kegs
Then the module for digitally keeping track of the packaging issue + consignment notes
After that, an inspection module for the defrosting process was implemented.
This season, a general inspection module will be developed
In addition, we are currently optimizing the order picking process with a user-friendly map.
Johannes explains:
“The phased implementation is very pleasant for us because the phased introduction allows us as an organization to gradually get used to the new system. As a result, the implementation causes far fewer problems than if we provided the entire organization with a new system in one go.”
Beam on a pump cart with barcode scanner for more efficient work.
What will the logistics future look like with Beam?
Royal van Zanten would like Beam to grow into a total solution with modules for facilitating and registering:
Chain Register and Inspections
Rearing monsters
Order registration with customer access
Optimise cell utilization to save energy costs
This is how Johannes sees the future:
“Ultimately, we would like to see the entire operational part registered in Beam, and for the office, we will continue to work in Navision.”
The big plus of Beam
All in all, Johannes is extremely enthusiastic about Beam's approach and results:
“We experience Beam's great commitment to the needs of the industry in general and our company Royal van Zanten in particular. No request is too crazy, and Beam is flexible and thoughtful. There is every confidence that this mentality will remain present even as Beam grows. That's why we're happy to work with them for the long term!”
Beam iPad in logistics on a forklift at Royal van Zanten
How does the app work in practice at flower bulb companies such as Royal van Zanten?
Our app can be used in many sectors but is most developed in the floriculture/flower bulb sector. So this is also the best choice for your company. A few examples:
Because Beam is a floor solution, we can easily connect it to any ERP system such as Navibol and Smartbulb. With these links, parties and orders are automatically synchronized. Beam is completely separate and the data in the administration is always up to date immediately.
Our user-friendly app runs on iPads that can be attached to forklifts and pump carts with a bracket. Via this app, a party can be moved with two clicks on an intuitive map. Because it always works not only online but also completely offline, even in the back of a cold store, the entire stock can be searched within a second.
Royal van Zanten also uses a barcode scanner to further increase the work speed. It is linked to the iPad and immediately opens the right party, so only the new location has to be selected. The solution is many times faster than working with driving cards or paper and is immediately visible to every user in the company.
