Nieuwkoop Flowers, based in Naaldwijk, operates worldwide as an importer and exporter of a very wide range of flowers and plants. They mainly specialise in exclusive cut flowers and plants, where high quality is the norm. Also located at Nieuwkoop in the box is Floral Special, a specialist in roses and other cut flowers from South America. For many years, they have joined forces, allowing them to offer their customers fast service and personal attention through short lines.
Both companies have been ALFA customers since 2012, and after years of working together with the software package AlfaPro, they were ready for new software. That moment came a little too soon, as NEXT did not fully address the specific needs at that time. As a result, it was decided to opt for another software vendor. During the implementation process that followed, it quickly became clear that this software did not live up to the promised expectations.
Thanks to the still good relationship, and after seeing other successful NEXT implementation projects on our website, Maurice Noort, responsible for the IT process at Nieuwkoop and Floral Special, decided to contact us again. It was soon clear that we had not been idle in the intervening period. By now, many of the originally desired functionalities had been developed and realised. The conviction was so strong that it was quickly decided to return to ALFA.
Amerik then picked up and successfully implemented the NEXT project. Read below the customer request and how we worked it out.
Customer query
- Modernisation of the software and web shop.
- Tailor the software more precisely to the specific needs of each individual company.
Solution
The AlfaPro package in which Nieuwkoop Flowers and Floral Special worked together has been replaced by two separate NEXT packages. Floral Special uses data import to enable direct trade import into the system. In addition, the VMP supplier has been integrated and the new web shop is being used. Orders are collected from stock locations known in AlfaPro NEXT.
Nieuwkoop Flowers has also switched to the new webshop. Orders are checked using tablets and the ‘exit check’ function. Moreover, the volume calculation from NEXT will play an increasingly crucial role in transport planning.
Result
With the switch to NEXT, both Nieuwkoop Flowers and Floral Special have systems that better suit their own operations. Thanks to an improved overview, for example in terms of stock, and user-friendliness, time is saved and fewer mistakes are made. Floral Special, for example, saves considerable time when importing procurement data. Nieuwkoop Flowers can prepare orders more carefully by using the clear exit control.
Comment Maurice Noort
‘By now, we have been working with NEXT for a while. The transition at Floral Special went smoothly, at Nieuwkoop Flowers it took a bit longer because of the merger with Blomdirekt. Here, we are also still on a trajectory in terms of setting up orders. We really enjoyed the implementation process with Amerik. Very nice to have a direct line to 1 person who knows what’s going on.’
Benefits NEXT
When asked what benefits NEXT offers them, Maurice does not have to think long; ‘The package is very user-friendly, saves a lot of time and gives a lot more insight! For example, we can easily import Excel lists from Floral Special; we no longer use EKTs. In addition, ‘order picking’ on location (stock inventory) is much faster and more efficient with the PDAs. This gives a better insight into stock and freshness of trade. Control of incoming flower boxes has also been improved.
At Nieuwkoop, we are not yet getting out what is in it, we are still in the process of setting up the system. There is still much to be gained with all the features and functionalities included in the package. There is still much to be gained with all the features and functionalities included in the package. We are now scanning the trade to see if everything is there. Furthermore, of course, we also experience a lot of convenience and time savings here.
Easy to use
Our colleagues did not need much time to get used to NEXT either, after only 2 or 3 days everyone had figured out what to do. But maybe the transition was not very big for us because it was somewhat familiar from the previous system AlfaPro. But either way, the package is very easy to use. It is still a challenge for some to work differently. Letting go of the old way and taking advantage of the conveniences and opportunities offered by the package.’
What next?
‘We will definitely expand the use of the many features in NEXT, especially on the export side. In addition, the ordering module is now used to some extent, but we can use this functionality much more widely. We also plan to make full use of ‘volume calculation’ in the future. In short, plenty of opportunities to become even more efficient.
All in all, we are very satisfied with NEXT, the overall feeling is good. Communication has also improved, for example, we really like the fact that in NEXT there is a notification via the ‘info button‘ when a new update or functionality is available. This keeps us abreast of developments and allows us to see for ourselves whether a functionality is interesting to include in our package.
NEXT may have been a long time coming, but we are ultimately very happy with this choice and can recommend it to anyone!’
