RFH Pre-Auction and Explorer: smart solutions Celdomy uses in their buying process

The flower market is evolving rapidly. Growers are joining forces, digitisation is accelerating and buyer practices are increasingly smart. Joey Valstar, Head of Buying at Celdomy, demonstrates how smart solutions such as RFH Pre-Auction and Floriday Explorer help to gain a clearer overview, buy in a more targeted manner, and at the same time maintain strong personal contact with growers. 

From a background in floriculture to buying in a changing market 
Joey Valstar was introduced to the floricultural sector at an early age. His father was a grower, with nurseries in the Netherlands and later Portugal. This route brought him into contact with the company Celdomy. "My father supplied Celdomy and that's how I got an internship here. After that, I stayed — first in the box and pretty soon in the purchasing department. I've been working here for almost ten years now and I'm head of buying." This background helps Joey every day. "You understand the whole supply chain better. That makes it easier to make choices." 

In a short time, the market has changed dramatically. "A lot has happened in a short time, especially with growers. Some have been absorbed into larger organizations or ceased operations. This has a direct impact on how you buy." Where previously the auction was absolutely the central place, the balance is shifting. "When I started, buying was heavily auction-focused. Now direct trade is increasingly important. At the same time, the auction remains indispensable — when conditions or agreements cannot be reached in direct trade, for example. That's precisely when strong relationships with suppliers make all the difference. 

Smarter and faster buying with digital solutions 
Florisoft, linked to Floriday, is the starting point in the buying process for Celdomy. Joey also uses Explorer for quick search and discovery. "I use Explorer to get an overview of growers, varieties and supply. It works quickly and helps us select just what we need." That targeted search is exactly what delivers extra benefits. "You avoid clogging up your system with supply that you don't use. This helps you maintain an overview and buy smarter." 

For purchasing by auction, RFH Pre-Auction offers strong support, according to Joey. "In RFH Pre-Auction, you can configure settings to precisely get what you want to see. Each buyer works with their own product group and can apply filters such as certain growers or supply. This means that in the morning you immediately see what is relevant to you." That makes a huge practical difference. "No more searching through the entire supply. “You start the day with a selection pre-prepared for you. This saves time and provides a clearer overview. 

In addition, digitisation facilitates a calmer day-to-day work process. “Where there were previously a lot of separate emails and apps, you now see the shift of trading via one platform. That provides a clear overview and makes collaboration easier." 

Buying smarter: speed and efficiency in practice 
Celdomy's operations are fully demand-driven. Customers — mainly flower shops in France — order via the webshop. "Customers can order up till 3 am for next-day delivery. This means everything has to be quickly organised in the morning." 

The real work for flower buyers starts in the early hours of the night. "Our buyers start around 3 or 3:30 am. That's when they look at the supply and orders and make choices: do we buy from a grower or at auction?” The logistics are set up accordingly. "With robots and set-up stations, we make sure everything is processed efficiently. The system knows exactly what should go where." 

Automation is also gaining ground in the process of buying smarter. "We're in the process of automatically matching customer needs and offered supply. This saves a lot of manual labour and makes the process faster and more reliable.” According to Joey, this is not only efficient but also necessary. “It's becoming increasingly difficult to find people who are willing to start so early. Automation helps to compensate for this so that flower buyers can also start later and have more time for other important activities, such as visiting growers." 

The power of technology and personal contact 
Nonetheless, Joey says personal contact remains essential despite all the digitisation. “We encourage buyers to visit growers. In the greenhouse, you see things you would otherwise miss.” That's exactly where opportunities arise. "If you hear what a grower is working on before it becomes apparent to the rest of the market, you have a head start." That's ultimately what it's all about: using smart digital support to free up time for the contacts that truly make a difference. 

According to Joey, the future lies in the right balance between technology and human contact. “Digitisation is only going to continue. But it shouldn't just happen behind a screen. The combination of data, systems and personal contact is what makes the difference." 

So Joey has clear advice for other buyers: "Get started, try things out, and above all stay close to the market." 
 
Wondering how you can buy smarter? Visit this page on the Floriday website for more information, inspiration and practical tips.