Oudijk Gerbera: “We haven’t just made the switch; we’ve made our sales process fit for the future.”

For a grower with 90 barberton daisy varieties and over 1,200 trade items, digitisation is not simply a matter of flicking a switch. Nevertheless, Oudijk Gerbera made the switch to Floriday. Step by step, the product catalogue, the sales process and links with customers were transferred. The result: greater control over the assortment, fewer error-prone stages and a solid foundation for further digitisation.

At Oudijk, it’s all about variety. The assortment consists of just under a hundred varieties of barberton daisies, combined with different packaging options, quantities and customer agreements. Together, this results in a Catalog of around 1,200 trade items. It was precisely this complexity that made the switch to Floriday a challenge. “We have an incredibly wide assortment with many different packaging formats and variants,” explains Wilco Westerman, who is responsible for all IT and automation at Oudijk Gerbera. “Everything has to be correct: from photos and product information to quantities and packaging. Otherwise, it becomes confusing for customers and they cannot find the right supply.”

The need for greater control and overview

The impetus for the switch did not stem from technology, but from day-to-day operations. Due to the large number of trade items, it became increasingly important to manage product information, prices and availability centrally and without error. In addition, Oudijk noticed that more and more buyers were using API integrations, the new industry standard. Oudijk wanted to ensure a future-proof foundation for its sales.

It was essential that daily product lists could be published online quickly and easily, that price changes could be handled correctly, that trade items were organised correctly within the Catalog, and that buyers were shown only the supplies relevant to them. It was only when Floriday could meet these requirements that a switch became a realistic option. Oudijk was already using Olsthoorn’s software for order processing, and this will remain the same under the new arrangement.

Once the foundations were in place, the migration of customers began. Oudijk made a conscious decision to adopt a personalised approach. Buyers were approached individually, given an explanation of the new way of working and, where necessary, assisted by Oudijk itself and Floriday with settings and integrations.

“What I really like about Floriday is that we have much greater control over our assortment,” says Wilco Westerman. “We can work with customer specific listing filters, easily market our products using daily prices, and link customers directly. With so many varieties and variants, this is essential for us to be able to work efficiently.

“For me, the most important difference is trust,” says Wilco Westerman. “I now know that the Supply is set up correctly and that customers see what they’re meant to see. That’s why I felt confident enough to take the next step and move our sales process to Floriday.”

Fewer intermediaries, greater certainty

The benefits soon became apparent. Removing old intermediary links from the process created greater transparency. Problems could be traced more quickly and were therefore easier to resolve. Moreover, it became possible to present the assortment in a much more targeted way. Buyers now only see the packaging formats that are relevant to them. This makes the assortment clearer and prevents errors during the ordering process.

The new system also offers benefits for day-to-day trading. In addition to the regular next-day supply, Oudijk can make any extra harvest or remaining stock available online immediately. Customers can still order these flowers before 9.00 am, after which the order is handled straight away and included in the next delivery.

Valuable lessons for other growers

Oudijk is now in the final stages of the migration. The majority of customers are already using the new system. According to Wilco, the main lesson learnt from this experience is that thorough preparation is crucial. His advice to other growers is clear: first take a critical look at your assortment, packaging and pricing structure before you begin the technical set-up.

Building on this together

For Jim Penning, onboarding manager at Floriday, the Oudijk case study is a fine example of how digitisation works in practice. According to Jim, the process demonstrates just how important collaboration is during changes of this variety. “A transition like this isn’t just about technology. That’s why we deliberately opted for a step-by-step approach. You want to be absolutely sure that customers can continue to place orders without any problems. We provide the technology, but it is the grower’s expertise that ultimately determines how the supply is organised. When those two come together, the result is a solution that really works for the sector.”

Advice for other growers

When asked what advice Wilco has for other growers, he is clear: “Anyone who looked at Floriday a few years ago would do well to take another look. “A great deal has been developed. If you concluded a few years ago that something wasn’t working as you wanted, the situation today is very different. With the new ‘daily prices’ functionality and the ability to filter the supply, many more options have been added that have made selling flowers even easier.”

Oudijk’s experience shows that even a complex assortment can be successfully managed digitally. Not by changing everything at once, but by building, step by step, a working method that is ready for the future.