A great range of food products, a caravan and a dash of entrepreneurship: that's all Frank Eduard Bieze needed in 1956 to attract customers. Since then, the food industry has become much more complex. And yet Bieze Food Group (BFG) succeeds in catering to the needs of customers just as much as their founder did.
Does the customer want more flexibility, transparency, speed or sustainability? BFG responds smoothly to every customer request - partly thanks to Microsoft Dynamics 365. Discover their recipe for success.
1. Quickly respond to any change
From salads and sauces to spices, dairy products and Ready-to-Eat meals: Bieze Food Group produces and sells them all. Moreover, the group also offers logistics services such as purchasing, planning, packaging, warehousing, transport and even invoicing. Behind all these activities are 12 organizations, each with its own expertise, identity and way of working - but all with a common IT platform.
“Customers have become quite demanding, and their demands are changing rapidly. They want smooth ordering, fast deliveries but also competitive prices and sustainable processes", says IT-director Evert Nijkamp. “To offer them a flawless all-inclusive service, BFG must be a well-oiled machine. That includes a central platform that bundles ERP, CRM and other data.”
“We supply the large supermarket chains. Their requirements around expiration date, delivery, packaging, billing and communication are complex and changing rapidly.”
– Evert Nijkamp, IT-director, Bieze Food Group
2. Work more efficient across the chain
Since 2018, Microsoft Dynamics 365 has been the heart and soul of BFG. Thanks to the integrated platform, all processes are standardized. A central data warehouse consolidates all data so that there is one real-time version of the truth. “Everyone has access to the same product, customer and supplier data and there is one billing system,” Evert explains.
External partners, such as suppliers, customers, logistics partners and consumers also benefit from that real-time data. Evert: “Silos don't work anymore. We strongly believe in the power of an ecosystem and communicate extensively with all players in the chain. Our transport partner Müller Fresh Food Logistics (MFFL), for example, has visibility into our planning, so they can plot the most efficient routes.”
BFG integrated their existing Warehouse Management System (WMS) with Microsoft Dynamics 365. This is how they bridge the gap between the offices and their state-of-the-art warehouse, where they store not only their own products but also food products from customers and from their transport partner MFFL. Because the warehouse is highly automated, BFG achieves great efficiency gains. “For example, we bundle all orders for the same delivery address on pallets that we merge with MFFL's pallets in the cross-dock,” Evert explains.
“By linking Microsoft Dynamics 365 to our WMS system, we are answering the demand for tight scheduling with as few transport movements as possible. That cuts costs and is more sustainable."
- Evert Nijkamp, IT-director, Bieze Food Group
3. Gain more insights and communicate them transparently
The new platform also provides transparency and exact cost calculations. Evert: “Through the combination of smart data management and the Microsoft platform, we know the exact prices of raw materials, packaging and services such as repackaging or warehousing. So we calculate the exact cost price for each package.
That helps, especially in a market where margins are under pressure. Customers see exactly what each service costs and how the price is structured. They appreciate that cost transparency. It's often an easy starting point for negotiations.”
4. Optimize your supplies and waste less food
Now that BFG has laid the foundations for a smooth IT system, the data are correct and the processes are running smoothly, there is plenty of room for innovation. The group takes every opportunity to further optimize its operation. Power BI provides even better analytics. Smart glasses make order pickers' work easier, faster and more accurate. And Evert is excited about FCast, the AI tool that helps them with forecasting. BFG also recently won an ICT award for that in the context of innovation from the Food Valley. The application, which was developed in collaboration with Erasmus University Rotterdam and works seamlessly with the Microsoft platform, helps make planning more precise.
“Every day we get sales data from our customers. The checkout data from Albert Heijn, for example. We link that with our own order data, historical data and 400 different variables, such as weather forecasts, holidays or vacations. Based on that data, the tool calculates what customers will order. It works. We can plan our purchasing and production much more tightly and optimize inventory. This saves us time and money, prevents shortages and minimizes food waste. Many products in our warehouse have a short shelf life. By planning optimally, the rotation is optimal. That fits in with our sustainability strategy and that of our customers.”
5. Control based on real-time data
“The food market is changing every day. Our IT platform helps us quickly respond to and even anticipate those changes. Our management has never considered IT as a cost but as a strategic tool for growth. The achievements of recent years show that this is an incredibly smart strategy,” Evert concludes.
He reinforces his claim with the example of QSTA, the online fresh market that BFG launched in 2022: “Food professionals can order food products that are delivered the next day. The threshold is low: anyone can order what they need at that moment, with no minimum amount. This includes products from companies within our Bieze Food Group, but more often also products from partners. Smaller customers, including some express delivery companies, are now customers. By doing so, we are reaching a whole new market.”
"With QSTA, we jumped on board the e-commerce train and are reaching a new target audience. Without our well-oiled back office and modern warehouse, we would never have been able to launch this platform.”
- Evert Nijkamp, IT-director, Bieze Food Group
How was Cegeka able to accomplish this?
During the implementation of Microsoft Dynamics 365, project leaders from Bieze Food Group and Cegeka worked closely together. A combination of scrum methodology and “traditional” consultation ensured smooth progress.
“A very important thing: the implementation was not only an IT project. We approached everything from the business processes,” Evert Nijkamp explains. “More importantly: the management supported us to the full 200%. Without that support, you can't keep a project like this in line.”
