Now Naaldwijk fully transitions to order picking & time-slot delivery

At Royal FloraHolland, we are reorganising our logistics. Step by step, we are transitioning from distribution to order picking. Careful planning is paramount: we experience, learn and optimise before taking the next step. Following Eelde and Rijnsburg, the Naaldwijk hub has also been 100% transitioned to order picking since Thursday the 20th of June.

Successful implementation
Jozien Lommerts, logistics manager at Naaldwijk, shares how the transition went: “We were well-prepared and everyone was enthusiastic. The journey to this transition took some time, so my team and I were eagerly anticipating this moment. Now, this milestone has finally been reached. The go-live went very well, so I am happy and satisfied. Of course, there are also learning points that we immediately put on the list to optimise.”

After two years of experience with order picking flowers and, since early 2024, also with the first plants (auction 11), we are now fully transitioned in Naaldwijk after the peak. Wednesday the 19th of June 2024 was the last day of plant distribution in Naaldwijk. It was a historic moment and the end of an era. The last auction trolley was distributed that morning. Due to the transition the next day, the supply on the 19th already followed the new process. On this day, there was also a major shift in processes and spaces to ensure everything was in the right place for a successful start. With this, Royal FloraHolland takes another step towards a uniform logistics system and method at all our hubs. This is necessary to be able to auction centrally and is the basis for new logistical services, such as time-slot delivery (Select Delivery).

Pulling together
“We provided excellent service in the first few days,” reflects Jozien. "Also yesterday, the first Monday after going live with still a large volume. It was great that we received support from nearly 40 peak helpers on this day. This meant a lot for good service to our customers, but also in the involvement and assistance towards our logistics colleagues. A big compliment from my side!”

“Furthermore, internally, it’s a bit of adjustment to the new names,” Jozien laughs. “We have worked towards this moment for a long time.” Where in recent years we spoke of new logistics, we can now speak of the logistics. Referring to the ‘old flower hall’ among colleagues will still take some time, but from now on we can proudly speak of the 'pot plant hall’!”

Finally, Jozien indicates: “In the coming quarter, we will shut down the old IT in Naaldwijk and continue to build the logistics of tomorrow. We see the potential to further optimise the process and add new propositions.”