Futureproof and flexible
Online growth
From crockery to ladles, from cookbooks to barbecue accessories and espresso machines. Kookwinkel Oldenhof offers professional chefs and cooking enthusiasts a wide range, which they can use for all aspects of cooking. By investing in its online activities, this retailer is making a double strike. The trends of cooking as a hobby and online sales are both on the rise at the moment.
The company has seen the number of online orders grow significantly in recent years. Large number of web orders only used to come in during the holiday season, but these days these Christmas shopping levels are seen all year round.
Logistic processes
This prompted the company to upgrade the online store and streamline logistics. The Novulo platform was connected to the existing Magento-based store, streamlining web orders. A new picking slip has made order picking more effective. The stock administration has also been made seamless by barcoding all items in the store and by using Novulo POS systems to continuously keep track of stock status.
This means that the existing approach of using the store as a warehouse would be continued. That's great news for a company that traces its history back to 1821.
B2B-webshop
The web application of Kookwinkel Oldenhof will be expanded next year to include a B2B webshop for wholesale trade. This functionality is also present in ready-to-use form in the Novulo platform, which features numerous components to support the e-commerce activities of retailers. The wholesale activity ensures that Kookwinkel Oldenhof itself is well stocked, but other companies can also place their orders by telephone and email.
With the help of the webshop, the administrative burden of this activity will be reduced, because orders will be automatically invoiced. In addition to streamlining the processing, wholesale activity will also get a boost because smaller suppliers can be addressed as well. With Novulo, Kookwinkel Oldenhof is preparing itself for the future and for growth.
In between custom-built and ERP
The back office of Kookwinkel Oldenhof does an excellent job of supporting processes that have been running for years in a certain way. This wasy Novulo is preparing the company for the future, where online and efficiency will go hand in hand. This says Kim Meuwissen, project manager at Kookwinkel Oldenhof and responsible for the development of existing and new IT systems for logistics, POS and stock administration.
How did you get started with Novulo and what did you want to achieve?
"We started looking at new systems when we decided to replace a fifteen-year-old content-based website a few years ago. Nowadays web orders that arrive in the online store are automatically transferred to the Novulo platform for logistical processing. Along with order processing, product information is also kept up to date in Novulo. This allows employees to pick five to six orders in one run, using a picking slip showing images of the ordered items. The role of the Novulo software will increase when the existing analog POS systems in the store are replaced with Novulo POS systems.
Once these are in operation, there will be much more insight into actual stock levels. As most of the stock is in the stores, this intervention will significantly improve stock management. It will further speed up the processing of orders and make it possible to display stock dynamically on the website, and manage it proactively. With the new POS systems, the omnichannel approach will take further shape. In the near future, it will also be possible to process returns in the stores correctly. It will also be possible to enter items such as VVV gift vouchers directly at the point of sale."
Why did you opt for Novulo?
"We were looking for a new logistics system that could easily be connected to the Magento 2 based webshop and that also had options for stock management. A contact in our network referred us to Novulo, as an e-commerce software supplier that could provide this kind of functionality and easily create connections. In the end, there were three selection criteria which Novulo met: the web-based software is futureproof, it can be flexibly expanded and adapted to our business processes, and we were able to get started quickly.
This flexibility is reflected in the B2B-webshop that will be created to support the import activities. This wholesale department currently still handles all orders by phone and email. If you have to process orders and draw up invoices by hand for a customer base of around 80 to 100 businesses, you can save a lot of time by automating invoicing. Customers get the convenience of ordering online and the order processing is streamlined. This enables the wholesale department to extend the offering to smaller suppliers. In this way, Novulo is preparing Kookwinkel Oldenhof for growth".
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What's it like working with Novulo?
"What I like about the Novulo platform is that it makes possible such an incredible number of things. The platform has many functional possibilities and is flexible. In that respect, Novulo is positioned exactly halfway between custom-built software and a large, heavy ERP system." This functionality can also be fully tailored to the areas the individual organization needs to focus on. When the Novulo POS system is up and running, we will not only have insight into what is being sold via the web, but the stock in the shop will also be continuously visible.
The new POS system will also be configurable. Normally the system emails the invoice to the customer. We work with receipts, so Novulo set this up for us. The new POS system can also handle fairly complex discount rules. In some discount campaigns, every second item is charged at half price. When a customer arrives at the checkout with four items, two sets are made automatically, so that the discount is applied to the right items. The POS system will also be getting a customer display. These are the fun things that have been made possible specifically for us.
Also, as a user of the system I can configure the software exactly the way I want to work. This applies to the headings and to the main menu. I can also customize my own filters, counters and overviews according to my preferences. The software does have a rather steep learning curve, so you have to learn to work with it. Sometimes I still have trouble with the various names. For example, if you have to attach three different codes to a special offer, which can be quite difficult. But once you've taken that hurdle, you can do a lot with this platform."
What does Novulo stand for, in your view?
"I mentioned earlier that the Novulo software is so versatile. It is a very flexible and smart platform that can assemble a web application exactly the way you want it."
What can Novulo do for you?
This example of Kookwinkel Oldenhof shows that organizations that, for example, want to better integrate their e-commerce with their existing retail activities, can use the Novulo platform to better connect logistics, administration and web sales.
The platform is set up in such a way that organizations can expand their web application step-by-step, in a controlled way and closely interwoven with the business strategy. This guarantees optimal speed, maneuverability and return on investment. For more information, please fill in this form. A product specialist will contact you for a demo tailored to your needs. Thank you for your attention, and for your confidence in Novulo.