Fast, stable and increasingly smarter: Bakker Goedhart's ordering system
Every day, at Bakker Goedhart, we ensure that our customers have filled their shelves with the tastiest bread, pastries and bakery specialties. But how do we ensure that the right products arrive every day? Behind the scenes, there is a smart system that has been developed especially for us: the Goedhart Ordering System, or GBS for short. Application manager Pim van der Gaag talks enthusiastically about it.
IT with an eye for the customer
At Bakker Goedhart, IT is more than just technology — it's a way to stay close to the customer. Our ICT department consists of a team of around 15 colleagues, most of whom are involved in functional management, system administration and rights structures. We manage almost everything ourselves, from ERP systems, logistics applications and a large number of bakery-specific applications. We hardly outsource. This choice makes us flexible and customer-oriented: with short lines of communication and a lot of in-house knowledge, we can switch quickly, develop customized systems and continuously improve. This is reflected in applications such as the ordering system, which focus on ease of use and shopping practice.
Tailored advice: from sales to weather forecast
“As a supermarket, you used to spend a lot of time entering orders,” says Pim. “Now it's much faster and easier. Our current system is stable, secure, and fully tailored to our own processes and customers.” More than 800 stores now use GBS. In a few minutes, they can place, modify or check their orders. Pim: “You can watch and adjust yourself, but if you do nothing, you order the system yourself. You can print the order for in-store or turn it into a PDF and the department will see what's coming up.”
Data from practice
The system automatically provides ordering advice based on an impressive number of factors: from checkout dates, historical sales and promotions to weather forecasts, holidays and even (self-specified) regional vacation periods or events in the area. “The system is automatically fed from the ERP system and the supermarket checkout data. It learns from the past and is therefore getting smarter.”
Always insight, always control
The system is also user-friendly. Users can easily subscribe to seasonal products, make their own choices or follow the advice. Pim: “To make the daily order, you can include the details of the same order day in previous weeks. You will then have all the sales and losses realised on the screen alongside your new order advice. To make an order for the holidays, you can request the comparable dates up to two years ago. This way, you can make an informed order.” The loss is calculated automatically based on the receipts provided by the stores. And with smart insights into, for example, the time of the last sale, loss or sales per item, entrepreneurs can tailor their order even better to practice.
Continuous improvement for the customer and chain
GBS is constantly being developed. More and more attention is being paid to ease of use and also to issues such as packaging management — so that the packaging balance is transparent to both the customer and the bakery. “The system helps shops and bakeries move forward,” says Pim. “We keep each other sharp and together we strive for less waste and better service.”
Less waste, more sustainability
It GBS System helps stores better align their order with actual consumer demand. As a result, waste is noticeably reduced. This is not only beneficial for the entrepreneur's margin, but is also perfectly in line with Bakker Goedhart's sustainability goals and those of our retail partners. Less waste means less food waste, less unnecessary logistics and more efficient use of raw materials. In this way, smart IT contributes concretely to a more sustainable chain.
Want to know more about Bakker Goedhart's smart ordering system? Our store account managers would love to tell you more!