OVERVIEW
Alméér Plant, a garden center in the West of the Netherlands, moved from its former site in Almere Stad to a new location in Almere Buiten five years ago, the garden center grew to three times its original size. As a result of this expansion, the need for automation also increased. “Before, we could get an overall view of the entire garden center in half an hour. We were able to manage the business using our gut feeling. That is simply no longer possible now that we have grown so much and substantially broadened our product range,” said Rico Blijleven. “We are more focused on data and try to burden our employees with as little red tape as possible,” the co-owner continued.
THE CHALLENGE
The scanners previously used by the garden center to gather and process this data did not offer sufficient perspective. “Those scanners ran on a Windows Mobile platform that is no longer being developed and is insufficiently supported,” explained Blijleven. “That is why we started looking for a scanner which does allow us to switch quickly and also develop new applications for the future.”
Alméér Plant asked Colleqtive in Huizen to help them with their quest. Together, the partners mapped out processes and bottlenecks and searched for an alternative approach. “Our focus was on a customer-oriented solution on the one hand, and the simplest possible design of the processes for our employees on the other hand. This allows our employees to work in a pleasant way and guarantees maximum customer satisfaction,” said Blijleven.
THE SOLUTION
Alméér Plant has recently started using Datalogic’s Joya Touch. Based on the process analysis and the wishes and demands of the garden center, Colleqtive developed an app that runs on Datalogic’s Joya Touch. Blijleven explained, “We use the Joya Touch and the app to create sales orders, look up product information and view and add discounts, amongst other things. But we also use it to make shelf cards, stickers or product lists, which can then be processed in the back office for purposes such as personal marketing.
During the sales process, the customer receives advice about the desired product, such as new garden furniture or a barbecue. When the customer has made his or her choice, the product is scanned. Thanks to a link to the price management platform, the employee immediately sees whether the product is cheaper at a competitor’s store. “In that case we adjust our price or find another appropriate solution in consultation with the customer,” explained
Blijleven. The app also allows employees to check and complete customer information. If the customer does not yet have a customer card and the address information is consequently not yet known to the garden center, the system searches for the additional information based on the postal code and the house number. The customer only needs to verify this information. “We can also immediately plan a delivery appointment in the app, so that the customer knows when the product will be delivered and we can plan our transport as efficiently as possible. If a certain date is more convenient both for us and for the customer, we may even deliver the product free of charge,” added Blijleven.
THE RESULTS
“We are extremely satisfied,” stated Blijleven. “The Joya Touch is a pleasant and intuitive scanner that perfectly fits our wishes and demands. Out of all the options that we considered, the Joya Touch offers the best quality at an affordable price.”
In addition to this, the Android platform on which the Colleqtive app runs enables Alméér Plant to continue developing and to further optimize processes very quickly. The garden center is currently consulting with Colleqtive to see whether not only the sales process but other processes as well, such as goods receipt and stock management, can be implemented in the app and the Joya Touch. “For example, scanning auction products upon arrival will provide us with immediate insight into important aspects. Is the barcode known to our system? Have the stickers been printed yet? Is there a discount that needs to be added to the product? And so on. By processing this data quickly and correctly, we can continue to optimize our processes and take our customer satisfaction to the next level,” concluded Blijleven.
Client: Tuincentrum Alméér Plant
Industry: Retail
Application: Sales, customer service and stock management
Country: The Netherlands
Datalogic partner: Colleqtive – Huizen
