Royal FloraHolland and FloraXchange
join forces
As of the first of July 2017, Royal FloraHolland and FloraXchange will be digitalizing the floriculture sector together. Both companies aim to improve the efficiency of floriculture as a whole. To speed up the process and to strengthen each other, Royal FloraHolland and FloraXchange will be joining forces when it comes to IT. This is why Royal FloraHolland took out a controlling interest in the floriculture platform FloraXchange. It marks the kick-off for the development of one single digital platform for growers. The best modules of the platforms of the two companies will be used, which will result in a single digital marketplace for flowers and plants. This will simplify and improve the accessibility of global trade in the floriculture sector and will speed up the innovation process.
What will change?
One digital platform for growers
Both Royal FloraHolland and FloraXchange have invested, these past few years, in developing platform functionalities for growers. As a team, we’ll be slowly working towards a complete integration of all grower modules from both FloraXchange and FloraMondo. We’ll take the best modules from both platforms to create a single global digital platform that growers can use to manage their product data, orders and logistics. That goes for growers of plants and growers of flowers, and for members and non-members of Royal FloraHolland. The platform will be called Floriday.io. Growers can access different trade channels via Floriday.io, such as FloraXchange and FloraMondo.
Collaboration for further development
The new joint venture feels the best way to success is to secure the involvement of growers and traders with the platform. That is why the joint venture won’t only continue to work on Floriday.io, but will also seek collaboration with exporting companies in order to further develop the modules of FloraXchange. This will turn it into the ultimate channel for trading companies that conduct direct trade with growers.
While FloraXchange is evolving and improving, it’s very important this trade channel doesn’t lose its independence and the business models of the exporting companies remain intact. The joint venture is convinced that a further digitalization of the floriculture sector can only be successful when the trading companies have a real stake in the trade channel. One of the first things to do is to agree upon – and to put in black and white – who owns the data and in what way the data can be used.
Not just for members of Royal FloraHolland
Royal FloraHolland participates in the joint venture, but that doesn’t mean that Floriday.io is only open to members of Royal FloraHolland. The new platform will be an open floriculture platform, for the whole of the sector. A grower using FloraXchange who is not a Royal FloraHolland member will be able, when the time comes, to use Floriday.io too.
Management
FloraXchange will set up the new platform for growers and continue to develop the FloraXchange platform on behalf of the exporting companies. The FloraXchange team will also take care of the day-to-day business of the new platform (such as development, support, implementation and communication). Royal FloraHolland experts will assist them in order to speed up the process. Gerhard van der Bijl (CDO) will represent Royal FloraHolland in the management of the joint venture.
The FloraXchange team remains unchanged and will continue to operate from the JEM-id offices at the Grote Waard street in Honselersdijk. The FloraMondo team stays the same as well, as part of Royal FloraHolland. Both teams will, however, be closely working together.
“Our digital aspirations are ambitious. Our top-priority is to set up a global digital platform for the floriculture sector. This transformation will happen responsibly, that is to say: we want our current marketplace to stay in business while we’re in the process of digitalization. And we feel the need for speed too. We’ll take bigger steps and will be admitting new talents to our organisation, so we can focus on new techniques. Also, we’ll be cooperating: With growers, customers and other parties to ensure the success of this new platform.”Send an e-mail
- Gerhard
“Two years ago I wouldn’t have thought a collaboration with Royal FloraHolland was a viable option. There’s a big discrepancy in the way we do things and Royal FloraHolland does things. The new view Royal FloraHolland has on IT now, however, was a good reason to start talking and go over different scenarios. We liked what we heard, and we’ve come to realise that Royal FloraHolland’s resources are a great help to us if we want to reach our efficiency goals. We saw totally eye to eye on this,”Send an e-mail
- Martijn
Question & answer
Both FloraXchange and Royal FloraHolland strive for a complete integration of all modules that are used by growers. This goes for components used in FloraXchange as well as for components used in FloraMondo and PlantConnect. The best parts of these platforms will be used to create a single new platform for flowers and plants, that will feel like an extension of the nursery. It’s important, for instance, a grower is provided with one single system in which he can manage his (commercial) stock. Whatever kind of trade (clock auction, direct, FX, or other) takes place, that system should keep track of what has been sold and what hasn’t. That goes for the products, but for all additional value (like pots et cetera) as well. The new digital platform will also grant growers access to more potential customers.
These coming weeks we’ll start joining up the best modules of FloraXchange and FloraMondo to create a single new platform. You should be able to log on to this new platform around November. Until that time, FloraXchange and FloraMondo are open for business. So if you are a grower using both platforms, things won’t change for you until November.
If you’re not a member of Royal FloraHolland, you can keep using FloraXchange, and you’ll be able to use the new platform as well. We want to be a more open floriculture platform, so we welcome anyone that can enrich the range of floriculture products on offer. We feel that a more diverse range benefits the sector.
If you yourself are a grower of flowers and/or plants, you can ask for an account. Resellers are not permitted to put goods up for sale on the new platform.
Paying via FloraXchange Services (formally known as Boskoop United) will remain an important part of FloraXchange. Non-members of Royal FloraHolland will still be able to pay via FXS. Any payments that Royal FloraHolland members make will continue to go via the cooperative.
The new platform (Floriday.io) is a growers’ platform. It will be a very open platform. The method of payment will be up to the affiliated channels. Using FloraMondo entails payment via Royal FloraHolland, and non-members of Royal FloraHolland have the freedom of choice within the FloraXchange channel.
For both FloraXchange and FloraMondo, the prices stay fixed in 2017. In due time however, we’ll revise the subscription system, because we would like a system that is clear-cut for both members and non-members of Royal FloraHolland.
We’re striving for a complete integration of all modules that are relevant to growers. This includes modules from both FloraMondo and FloraXchange. This new platform, however, will be for growers only. Customers (buyers) will still be using FloraMondo and FloraXchange.
As a grower, you’ll be entering your product data into the new platform. Both FloraMondo and FloraXchange are going to use the data provided by that new platform. The link-up with the exporting companies will still be happening via FloraMondo and/or FloraXchange, just as it does now.
Many growers have an interface in their own system to link up with FloraXchange. Software packages like SDF, Anteater and Olsthoorn are often used to keep the product data up to date and to process orders. These interfaces, like the QUOTES interface, will continue to operate. Together, we are going to develop a new interface that helps systems to better connect to FloraXchange, though.
We expect the new system will be ready for you to use around November 2017, so you can enter your product data then.
Yes, for the time being, you can still log on to FloraXchange. As soon as the new platform, Floriday.io, is fully operative, you’ll automatically be redirected to Floriday.io.
No. We hope to transport all data to the new platform. This may prove to be quite a challenge, but we’ll do everything we can to see to it you can simply get on with things.
For customers (buyers), nothing changes, in principle. They’ll continue to use FloraMondo and FloraXchange as their gateway to the floriculture sector.
We’ll be migrating the best modules from both FloraXchange and FloraMondo to the new platform, so those lists will be included. In due time, we want to add other functionalities as well that help with selling your products at all trade channels.
Theoretically no, for we’ll be using existing modules from both FloraXchange and FloraMondo. We assume however that this cooperation will lead to a quicker realisation of some improvements we want to make, so the platform will certainly see some changes.
Theoretically no, for we’ll be using existing modules from both FloraXchange and FloraMondo. We assume however that this cooperation will lead to a quicker realisation of some improvements we want to make, so the platform will certainly see some changes.
We will not change the way FloraXchange operates. What we want, is to form a more solid base together, so we can help the floriculture sector move forward. That’s why we think it’s very important to assist you as quickly as possible when you have problems or questions. The new platform will preserve the flexibility of FloraXchange.
Customers tend to order ever smaller quantities. Some orders are so small that they are of little interest to a grower. We want to come up a good solution to this problem, in consultation with the buyers. The first step towards a solution is, we feel, a single platform where all incoming orders end up.
Royal FloraHolland has an IT strategy, and FloraXchange has one of its own too. We’ll integrate these strategies into one single road map. Come November 2017, we’ll be sharing this road map with you.
As a customer (buyer), you won’t notice a lot of change straight away, for most functionalities of both FloraXchange and FloraMondo will stay as they are. However, we’ll be turning the customer modules of FloraXchange into one single solution for customers that conduct trade with growers directly. FloraXchange shall be, more than before, the ultimate channel for the direct trading of plants. Royal FloraHolland has something similar in mind for FloraMondo. That will be the ultimate trading channel for flowers and plants when it comes to auction presale and ‘Today for Today’.
Because FX will focus more on customers (buyers, traders), developments in that area can pick up speed. The same goes for FloraMondo. Also, a certain degree of standardization is good for everyone involved. Customers won’t have to invest as much in their own IT. Furthermore, this joining of forces leads to easy access to the largest range of flowers and plants in the world. Customers won’t have to use several systems any more, but they can find all the products they need on one single platform, if they so wish. That’s certainly more efficient. It can reduce costs as well, for customers that have interfaced with individual growers.
That depends on the trade channel. The joint venture focuses on Floriday.io, which is meant for growers. The affiliated channels can all have their own restrictions. FloraMondo requires a Royal FloraHolland customer number, for instance, and FX demands that you’re based in the Netherlands or Belgium.
No, both will go on. FloraXchange will turn into the ultimate channel for customers that do direct business with growers. FloraMondo will be the trading channel for flowers and plants when it comes to auction presale and ‘Today for Today’. We want to keep these strong points and improve on them. Also, in consultation with our customers we’ll be striving to develop these trade channels further, these coming years.
During the construction of the new platform, and the further development of FloraXchange and FloraMondo, we’ll make sure there’s a strict separation between the modules for growers and the modules for customers (buyers). At the moment, data of both growers and customers are part of the same system. That is going to change. Data will be explicitly assigned to an owner, and users will be given tools with which they get access to their own data, and they can optionally remove those if they choose to leave the platform or one of the affiliated trade channels. We’ll provide a clear data governance code to ensure this procedure will be used.
No, this is not what we intend. Royal FloraHolland sticks to the Strategy 2020. Royal FloraHolland is an open marketplace for growers and their customers. The marketplace has a transparent set of rules that apply to everyone. Royal FloraHolland does not employ any activities after the transaction has taken place, which is to say: after the purchased goods are delivered to the customer
These coming weeks we’ll start to fuse the grower modules of FloraXchange and FloraMondo together. The customer modules from these two will keep their functionalities and evolve into trade and sales channels. We expect to see the new platform take shape in November 2017. Until that time, you can continue to use FloraXchange and FloraMondo like you have always done.
The joint venture will keep working on both the new platform and FloraXchange. Royal FloraHolland will work on improving FloraMondo. PlantConnect on the other hand will evolve to become part of FloraXchange. We expect the developments to pick up speed because of this new cooperation, which is in the interest of growers and customers. As we’re joining forces, we have more resources available to implement the necessary adjustments. Also, we’ll be working together in further developing the modules – that’s better than working alone. Growers will see the improvements in the new platform, and clients will see the improvements in the trade channels FloraXchange and FloraMondo.
FloraMondo and FloraXchange both have a lot of interfaces to connect with external systems. These connections will still work. We will also be developing a new interface to improve the connection between customer systems and the products on offer.
The management, consisting of Jefry van den Hoeven and Martijn van Andel (FloraXchange) plus Gerhard van der Bijl (Royal FloraHolland), will decide what functionalities are to be part of the new platform.
The new platform (Floriday.io) is a growers’ platform. What methods of payment are available will be up to the affiliated channels. Growers that are members of Royal FloraHolland and customers that have a customer number will conduct payments via Royal FloraHolland, just like now. Other trade channels may offer other methods of payment.
All transactions between clients and members of Royal FloraHolland must go through Royal FloraHolland to settle the account. These data will have to go through the financial systems of Royal FloraHolland, as is the case now. All data that is stored within a trade channel and refers to the transaction, will stay within that trade channel.
No. At the moment, we do not have the intention to change the setup of the subscriptions or the prices of the subscriptions, so nothing will change in 2017. In due time however, we’ll revise the subscription system, because we would like have a system that is clear-cut for both members and non-members of Royal FloraHolland.
No, because FloraXchange does not provide custom-made solutions. On the other hand, there will be a bigger budget for development, so there will definitively be some improvements. We’ll especially be investing heavily in vastly improving the interfaces.
FloraXchange is focussing on the direct trade between growers and exporting companies. Later on, this will include direct trading of flowers.
What isn’t going to change, is the way FloraXchange operates. We’ll keep working from our office in Honselersdijk. Our core team will stay the same and JEM-id will remain the provider of our software. The FloraXchange team will also take care of the day-to-day business of the new platform (such as development, support, implementation and communication).
The joint venture will be called FloraXchange. The office will be the same too, located at the Grote Waard street in Honselersdijk. This is also where the usual workshops will take place and where you are always welcome to drop in for a chat and a cup of coffee.
We aim to change as little as possible in the way FloraXchange operates. What we want, is to form a more solid base together, from which we can improve the floriculture sector. That’s why we still feel it’s very important to be quick and flexible in our dealings with you. This won’t change when we’ve developed the new platform.
We opted to be a joint venture because in that form of cooperation, the parties involved both own the new platform. Since both participants are owners, their interests coincide. We believe this will lead to the fastest progress.
No, that is certainly not the case. Royal FloraHolland sticks to its strategy. Royal FloraHolland is an open marketplace for growers and their clients. The marketplace has a transparent set of rules that apply to everyone. Royal FloraHolland does not employ any activities after the transaction has taken place, which is to say: after the purchased goods are delivered to the client.
Royal FloraHolland has 50% of the shares plus one, so that’s a controlling interest. This setup was mainly chosen for legal reasons. All parties involved think of it as an equal partnership, though. Management will consist of Jefry van den Hoeven and Martijn van Andel (FloraXchange) plus Gerhard van der Bijl (Royal FloraHolland), and together they are committed to make a success of this joint venture.
We will not change the way FloraXchange operates. What we want, is to form a more solid base together, so we can help the floriculture sector move forward. That’s why we think it’s very important to assist you as quickly as possible when you have problems or questions. The new platform will preserve the flexibility of FloraXchange.
Data governance
As we construct the new platform, we’ll make sure there’s a strict separation between the modules for growers and the modules for buyers (clients). An additional advantage is that there will be a clear separation between the data of these two groups as well. In future, data will be explicitly assigned to an owner. Furthermore, users will be given tools with which they can get access to their own data, and optionally erase the data as well, should they no longer wish to use our services. Also, we’ll appoint an independent office-holder who is to safeguard the data and prevent any misuse. The joint venture will, in consultation with users, fill in the details of this function.
Contact
FloraXchange
Tel: 0174-725490
E-mail: support@floraxchange.nl
Royal FloraHolland
Tel: 088-7898989
E-mail: klantenservice@royalfloraholland.com