From whiteboard and Excel to a live inventory overview at Van Schendel

During harvest, capacity is only part of the challenge at Van Schendel, an arable farm in Marknesse. With around 400 hectares of farmland, room for 12,000 crates and several product flows, each batch needs to be in the right place at the right time. That takes reliable machinery and an inventory record that shows the current position straight away.

Van Schendel had already improved its logistics around the farm. It then replaced its whiteboard and Excel file for inventory with HeyStack.

The quotes below have been translated from Dutch.

#A calmer harvest period

Van Schendel has invested for years in making its internal logistics work better. The aim is not to automate as much as possible, but to make the busiest time of year less hectic.

Since 2016, the farm has used several logistics solutions from VHM Machinery, including a MonoFilr, Stackr, MonoTurnr with EvenFlow and BigbagFilr. Together, they help move goods efficiently around the farm.

“They work extremely well. Those machines have brought so much calm to the business.”

Martijn van Schendel, co-owner of Van Schendel

That calmer workflow led to the next step: improving the inventory records too.

#The same stock recorded on a whiteboard and in Excel

While the farm's logistics became more efficient, Van Schendel still recorded batches in two places: on a whiteboard and in an Excel file. This meant duplicate work and made it easier for the two records to differ.

“We mainly wanted to make fewer mistakes and see our inventory at a glance,” Martijn says.

Moving to a digital process took some attention at first. Everyone needs to use the system consistently to keep the overview current. According to Martijn, that is going better and better.

#Batches, storage locations and quantities in one app

HeyStack brings Van Schendel's batches, storage locations and quantities into one overview. It fits the way the farm handles its goods: the VHM machines process the crates and big bags, while HeyStack shows what is in stock and where it is stored.

For Martijn, the biggest benefit is the overview once the information has been entered.

“Once all the data is in the system, it gives us a huge amount of clarity.”

Van Schendel checks its inventory regularly. That matters both to the farm and to the cooperative for which it grows seed potatoes. An up-to-date overview shows what can or still needs to be sold.

#From hours of updates to an immediate answer

Keeping the inventory current takes less time too. Martijn used to update the records every Saturday, a job that took him a few hours.

“We make fewer mistakes now. I used to update the inventory on Saturdays, and that took a few hours. Now I open the app and can immediately see where we stand.”

The benefit is more than less manual work. Martijn and his colleagues can check the current stock whenever they need it.

Want to see what is in your storage shed on your phone? Try HeyStack with your own inventory.

#The next step: linking machines and inventory

VHM Machinery and Flowgistics are working on a connection between the machines and HeyStack. The aim is to bring data from a machine, such as the weight of a filled crate, into the inventory record automatically.

“You want your inventory records in order before harvest starts,” says Mark Verwer of Flowgistics. “The next step is for machines and software to work more closely together, so growers have less to enter by hand.”

Martijn is looking forward to that: “If weights are recorded automatically in future, that will save more time and make the work even easier. That would be fantastic.”

Automation on the farm is growing step by step: from handling crates to maintaining an up-to-date, reliable inventory record.

#About Van Schendel

Van Schendel is a family-run arable farm in Marknesse. It started in 1948 with one rented plot. The third generation now runs the business, which covers around 400 hectares. It grows seed and ware potatoes, onions grown from seed and sets, winter carrots, chicory, sugar beet, and winter and spring wheat.

The farm can store 12,000 crates and around 1,000 tonnes of bulk produce. Three permanent employees and about six seasonal workers handle day-to-day operations.

Want to see your inventory as clearly as Van Schendel does? Start using HeyStack for free and add your storage locations and first batches in the app.