New, smart ways of ordering optimize business process

When the supplier of products for the window frame industry whispers to us that there are still customers who order by phone or fax, we are not surprised. Not everyone is digitally inclined. When Marcel and Joris tell us what possibilities have been created by Dozon Bouwtechniek to facilitate digital ordering convenience, we are a little surprised.

We find ourselves at Dozon in Doetinchem, at the table with Marcel Melgers, account manager for the window frame industry, and Joris Marcelis, e-commerce coordinator. These days it's not just about digital solutions, but mainly about optimizing the business process, which is a consequence of digital ordering.

Wide delivery program for the window frame industry

"We supply a wide range of A-brands for the wood and plastic processors in the window frame industry. We have been doing this since 1973, when Dozon decided to focus on this. Today we have a total of 8 branches in Eastern and Central Netherlands, locations where products can be picked up. Doetinchem is our central branch, from which we serve the window frame industry," Marcel opens the conversation.

(L) Dozon makes it easier on all fronts for its customers, from sole traders to large construction companies | (R) The Dozon App offers ordering convenience and saves the entrepreneur a lot of time.

Welcome to the digital world

Joris explains that it makes sense that customers still order by phone: "Many self-employed people place their orders from their work location, to have it taken care of immediately and because they are often home late. Still, there are disadvantages to ordering by phone. The ZZP'er has to note down on location what he ordered and process it later at home. Basically, ordering by phone gives more chance of mistakes in the order. Therefore, digital ordering is a godsend. Our webshop is still our biggest digital ordering platform at the moment. Now, however, there is the Dozon App, which is rapidly gaining ground. Via the App, the barcode of an article can be scanned and ordered directly. It is also possible to create a (favorites) list of frequently used items so that they can easily be ordered again. The icing on the cake is a loyalty program that allows customers to earn points by liking and sharing messages from the App on social media. Those points can be redeemed in exchange for great gifts."

In addition to the webshop and Dozon App, there is also the Budget Shop. Marcel explains, "The Budget Shop can be set up with selected items. Employees are then given a budget with which they can order products themselves from the predetermined selection. The employer can see what is ordered, but does not have to process requests in advance. Items ordered by employees can be delivered to any desired location." The advantage of digital ordering is that it is possible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is still human control of the order, however. "Digital orders, before they are finally picked, are reviewed by a Dozon employee.

In this way, abnormal quantities or products are spotted and if in doubt we contact the customer about this," said Joris.

Orders can be picked up or delivered the next day at any desired location, provided they are ordered before 4:30 pm. This of course includes, "Dozon, thought of everything!"

Schematic representation of how Qwiki works.

Fully digitized ordering process

The pinnacle of digital ordering at Dozon is the Qwiki ordering system. "We implement this system at the customer's site so that the entire ordering process is digital and optimized, from the purchasing department to the warehouse," says Joris. Marcel adds, "The Qwiki system also provides a piece of inventory management. The system is very suitable for customers with a high turnover rate. When an employee takes a box from stock, he immediately throws a corresponding card with RFID chip into a physical Qwiki. This scans the chip and sets the item ready to be ordered. At the end of the day, all scanned cards are automatically ordered from Dozon. This way, the customer never misses out in his own warehouse again. The system is so easily accessible that it does not require any specific knowledge. Nor is it dependent on what language an employee speaks."

The Qwiki system hangs in the cloud. Joris: "Qwiki can be programmed remotely by us from Doetinchem. We can program data linked to the RFID chip remotely. We are currently working on automated processing of orders via EDI, directly from the customer's work preparation program. We link the customer's system directly to ours. An order is released from the customer's ERP system, automatically enters Dozon and is immediately put into our system as an order. The stock automatically comes back up."

Dozon makes it easier on all fronts for its clients, from sole traders to large construction companies. "The bottom line is that with our digital systems, clients need less manpower, failure costs are reduced, time is saved and work is more efficient. In other words, no more slipping up. Overall, this makes a lot of money!"