Eating is emotion. The fact that this also involves a great logistic responsibility is something that the Huuskes company, originating from Enschede, is aware of like no one else. For decades, the company, with its mission ‘met gemak smakelijk eten’ ('enjoying food with ease'), has been working on the basis of three important values: fresh, client-focussed and delivery reliability.
Harrie Reink, Logistics manager at Huuskes, explains how the company has organised its logistic processes, so as to be able to offer tailor-made deliveries to clients. Harrie: “Huuskes is a very innovative company that thinks along with its clients. We supply to our clients anything that you could buy in the supermarket, as a private person. From fresh items, meals to cleaning materials. Clients demand a total supplier.
In order to meet the needs of the client, a care institute with an own kitchen, for instance, could order a bag of potatoes from us, but also potatoes as a component in a meal and anything in between. In the home market, where people are related to a care institute, but still live independently, the Eten & Zo Thuis webshop offers the possibility to order meals. These meals are delivered to the care institute, or in cooperation with PostNL, in a cool box. This however requires solid logistic preparation.”
For that reason, meanwhile Huuskes has been using GPS-Buddy equipment for more than 10 years. Initially to find out where the vehicles were located and to compose route reports. With the expansion of the service provision, also the investing in smart technology has increased, over the years. The modular construction of the GPS-Buddy systems makes it possible for Huuskes to gradually add the new functionality, in line with the company's growth. As such, the company also makes use of temperature sensors, a CANbus-coupler and a digital tachograph-link. On the one hand, to be able to meet specific requirements, on the other hand to minimise the administrative burden.
Harrie: “We use the digital tachograph-link because that means that we don't have to send people out time after time, to read the tachographs. We can now simply download that information in the office. As such, we comply with the legal obligations in an efficient way. We also instantly know which driver is driving the vehicle. Since our clients are gradually returning to their core activities, which is providing care, our service provision is enhanced to the point where the driver even delivers the items to the department.” This far-reaching service does have consequences though. “When a driver is making deliveries, then often the vehicle is not on the move for a longer period of time, sometimes up to an hour. For that reason, we have installed temperature sensors in these vehicles, with an alarm notification. If the temperature deviates too much and comes close to the threshold values, then we receive a notification and take action. In addition, we can produce reports to our clients, with the temperature of the products during the delivery. Crucial information to be able to meet the HACCP-guidelines."
In addition to the HACCP-guidelines and driving hours and rest periods regulations, the company notices increasingly more European tenders where environmental certificates are demanded. Huuskes also carefully monitors this development. Harrie: “As a company, we deem sustainable dealing with the environment very important. We supply throughout the Netherlands, from four distribution centres. The transport to and from the distribution centre takes place by means of LZV combinations (Long Heavy Vehicles - 25 metres) that are able to transport 50% more on a journey. The environmental impact of our fleet is something that is becoming more and more important in European tenders. We consider this an important aspect and therefore we choose to comply with those specific environment certificates. The GPS-Buddy CANbus-coupling, for instance, allows us good insight in the fuel consumption.
However, the consumption is dependent on many factors, for instance, do drivers do many short trips in urban areas, or do many trips take place along provincial roads and on motorways? The CANbus-coupling also provides us with good insight in the driving behaviour of the drivers. By combining that data, we can also focus on the driving behaviour of the drivers, if necessary.” At the moment, Huuskes is working hard on the implementation of an ERP-system. As soon as that is finished, also the GPS-Buddy Driver App will be implemented. That will allow us to directly pass on tasks to the driver, while the communication between office and drivers will be even more efficient. As a result, Huuskes is able to continuously focus on their core values: fresh, client-focussed and delivery reliability.
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