Getting a better grip on logistics in the floriculture supply chain: Track & Trace grows through Floriday

"Where's my order?" It’s a question asked daily in the floriculture sector. Growers, buyers, carriers and hubs all have logistics data, but that information is often fragmented across different systems and moments in the chain. We are working with the sector to increase transparency in the logistics process. An important step in this is the further development of Track & Trace via Floriday. Recently, Track & Trace information in Floriday has been extended to include scans made at RFH hubs and logistics screens have been further improved. This will make current order status information more readily available in one central location.

Expansion of hub scans and logistics screens

The Track & Trace information facility in Floriday has been extended to include hub scans for products bought through Auction, Auction presale and Daytrade, where order picking is applied. Orders are now scanned at multiple points in the logistics process, giving growers and buyers a better idea of where their stock is and which step comes next. In addition, the logistics screens in Floriday have been improved. A single overview shows the current status of orders, allowing buyers to determine whether action is needed and better prepare for incoming trade. These screens can be found in Floriday under Logistics > Delivery orders.

Less time spent searching for information

Track & Trace is all about overview and predictability in the chain. By bringing together available scanning information in Floriday, one central view is provided, instead of separate updates through different channels.

"Right now, many calls are made back and forth daily to find where an order is. With Track & Trace, you can find the status of deliveries at a glance, which saves a lot of time and gives more clarity," said Marcel van der Ende, Floriday's Commercial Manager. For buyers, it is ultimately about predictability: knowing where you stand and thus being able to plan the work on the floor. "A buyer benefits from predictability. You want to know as early as possible in the process when to expect the products." Having up-to-date logistics status information at their disposal allows buyers to better manage their internal processes. Think of scheduling work on the floor or determining until what time a webshop can remain open for sales. 

Floriday as a platform for the entire journey of the order

Floriday is increasingly developing as a platform where trade and logistics information comes together. Where the platform started as a digital marketplace for ordering, it is now growing into a platform that supports the entire journey of the order in the chain.

"We are building an infrastructure where the order, supported by all digital means, can move seamlessly through the chain. From the moment a buyer orders, it can be followed digitally," says Marcel van der Ende. Within that development, Track & Trace plays an important role.

Floriday brings together information from different links: from orders passing through different sales channels to logistics status updates from hubs and (increasingly) carriers. That central role makes it easier for users to keep an overview, without additional systems or telephone coordination. Without this insight, an important part of the order's journey would be missing. It is precisely by adding this step that the chain as a whole becomes more complete and easier to track.

Step-by-step expansion in the sector

Track & Trace only delivers real value if enough parties in the chain participate. Therefore, the functionality is being expanded step by step, both in terms of available scanning times and in terms of connecting more carriers and growers with their own transport. The recent addition of hub scans for Auction clock, Auction presales and Daytrade is an important milestone in this regard. At the same time, further expansion is being explored, for example by connecting more growers with their own transport and carriers, as well as making additional data visible.

Marcel: "We can't do that alone. We need each other in the chain for that. We can supply the hub scans, but carriers and growers have to supply their scans and buyers their indoor scans. The more parties share that information, the better we can make the process insightful and predictable."

Looking ahead: from insight to predictability

The further development of Track & Trace focuses on increasing predictability in the logistics process. Smartly combining available scanning information will eventually create the possibility of better foresight, for example towards expected next steps in the process and arrival times of the trade at the buyer's premises.

"What we want to move towards is an overview of statuses that really help growers and buyers. You don't need to see 100 statuses, but rather the information that is relevant to you. Ultimately, you also want to move towards the estimated time of arrival of the ordered products (ETA)," said Marcel van der Ende. This further development requires close cooperation with parties in the chain and is therefore being tackled in phases and with care.

At the same time, follow-up steps in the logistics process are being worked on. In the future, we want to make it possible to create transport orders directly from Floriday and share them with carriers.

Discover Track & Trace in Floriday

The available Track & Trace information can be found in the logistics section of Floriday. Growers and buyers are invited to follow developments, view the screens and share their experiences via Floriday Support. Feedback from the field helps to further improve Track & Trace and ensure it is aligned with the day-to-day reality of the sector.

Towards more predictability in the chain

What this development shows is that control over logistics does not arise in one step, but rather in the cooperation between growers, buyers, carriers and hubs. Combining logistics information in Floriday creates one central and up-to-date overview of the order journey. This shifts the sector from reactive figuring out to proactive planning. That movement - from loose information to shared insight - is essential to make logistics processes more predictable and efficient. Floriday is thus gradually developing into the place where this information comes together.