With more than 40 employees, Hans Visser exports plants throughout Europe. In over 60 years, they have grown into a major plant exporter. Recently, they made the switch to API connectivity to speed up processes. We spoke to Rinze Schaper and Erik van der Zwaard, buyers at Hans Visser, about digitisation within the company, what benefits they are experiencing and what wishes they still have.
Hans Visser plant export exports to countries such as Spain, Portugal and Poland. Erik: "We want to work more digitally and improve our webshop. In addition, digital procurement is part of our tasks. Erik: "We select our supply through the Explorer by marking the items as favourites. This puts our assortment in our webshop where end customers buy. About 60% of sales are through the webshop and the remaining 40% through account managers who buy for the end customer."
Benefits and wishes when working digitally
"We have been working with Floriday since the beginning, but the transition was not without challenges. Now that we work through the API, there is no longer a delay in the screens and growers receive our orders within 10 seconds."
Erik: "Digitisation is going faster and faster. Where previously 4.5 hours were needed for procurement, this has now been reduced to half an hour per person. Working through one system is a lot faster than when we worked through phone, fax, Florecom and e-mail. Before, you really weren't done before 11:00 in the morning."
Need for track and trace information
Floriday is working with carriers in a pilot to provide more insight into transport information. We ask how Erik and Rinze feel about this development. Erik: "There is a need for track and trace information for us."
Rinze: "We check daily that letters are linked and delivery orders are completed. That's the only check where you know the trade is going to come. Logistics currently has poor visibility of when trade comes in, making it almost impossible to schedule. It regularly happens that a delivery order is late and this is where you have to react. We make about 10 calls a day to find out where trade has got to. Information in one screen would definitely be nice."
Using Floriday Messenger
Besides searching by supply in the Explorer, Floriday Messenger allows growers and buyers to communicate directly about trade. Rinze: "I find Messenger useful for purchase orders. If you have any comments, you can select them and contact the grower directly. Rinze continues: "With digital working, you are also logistically covered. When we order through Floriday, there are order and delivery numbers attached. This gives them the right information immediately in logistics. This creates much less work on all sides."
"We look forward to the future, where digitisation will strengthen the floriculture industry and there are opportunities for increased transport information and more efficient working."