Significant efficiency gains at A.N. Boekel after switching to GreenCommerce pallet registration
Recently, A.N. Boekel took the next step with GreenCommerce by switching from batch registration to pallet registration. Due to the company’s steady growth and increasing regulatory requirements, this was a necessary, future-proof step. Because of this, a wide range of possibilities has become available to further expand their GreenCommerce. Since the transition, A.N. Boekel has started working with the Production App and WMS App, with the latter in particular leading to a true revolution on the floor.
A.N. Boekel: the specialist in fruit and vegetables
A.N. Boekel trades a wide variety of fresh produce products daily to and from various countries, with a focus on Eastern European countries such as the Czech Republic and surrounding regions. In 2016, they moved into their current premises in Oudkarspel, where they serve a broad range of customers, including supermarkets, cash & carry, wholesalers and industry. A.N. Boekel has its own cultivation, a large network of affiliated growers, its own processing facilities and its own transport company. The assortment mainly consists of open-field vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, celeriac, cabbage and swede.
From batch to pallet registration
The advantage of pallet registration compared to batch registration is that many more possibilities become available to expand GreenCommerce. Examples include the WMS App, Production App and other modules. With pallet registration, A.N. Boekel can better meet customer requirements, as more registrations are possible within the system. This includes real-time insight for commercial teams into the production and order picking process, paperless order picking with the WMS App and accurate product traceability.
Rob Bruin, functional administrator at A.N. Boekel, explains: “We work with 15 fixed tablets on the floor and will soon start implementing scanners as well. We have a young team; they quickly adapt to the new way of working. As soon as the tablets were installed and the paperwork disappeared, the enthusiasm was immediately noticeable.”
In addition to the options mentioned above, there are more possibilities, such as sending DESADV messages in combination with SSCC labeling, registering pallet weights within the process and the ability to realize further integrations via FreshBabel.
Paperless picking in the warehouse with the WMS App
With the switch to pallet registration, the option to work with the GreenCommerce Apps has also become available. In addition to the Production App, paper picking lists have been replaced by tablets and scanners via the WMS App. Rob is enthusiastic: “Previously, we always worked with paper picking lists, which meant that in the office you had no control over what was eventually placed at the dock. Now we have real-time insight into stock, more registration options and direct insight into what has been picked. The WMS App is directly connected to GreenCommerce in the office, giving us insight into progress and allowing us to communicate changes in real time. Previously, a lot of phone calls were needed, which is no longer necessary at all. When office staff now walk into the warehouse or vice versa, it is more often to catch up on news than to get information about an order. That has a strong positive effect on the team atmosphere.”
Collaboration between jem-id and A.N. Boekel
A.N. Boekel has been working with GreenCommerce for more than 15 years and is pleased that the software can grow with them: “The collaboration with jem-id, and in particular with Jaap and Michelle for the implementation, went extremely well. There was a relaxed atmosphere and they truly took the time for us. It is nice that they know the industry very well, which gives confidence for future collaborations,” Rob concludes.
Plans for the future
Rob looks positively to the future: “Soon the first piles will be driven into the ground for a 6,500 m² expansion of our current building. That requires strict logistics processes. Because we now work with the WMS App, it immediately creates opportunities to work with sub-locations. This gives us an overview of where products are located, where loading takes place and when products arrive. By switching to pallet registration, the door has been opened to further innovation. There is freedom to think about all the different possibilities GreenCommerce offers, allowing us to make great progress.”
More information
Do you have any questions or would you like more information about GreenCommerce? Contact us at info@greencommerce.nl or call +31 174 - 642 622.
