The door opens and a green sea of Spathiphyllum plants stretches into the distance. We are visiting Bestplant in Poeldijk. Nancy Zwirs, responsible for sales among other things, tells us about the family business, how they work with Floriday and what it brings them.
"Spathiphyllum is the core business of our company. We grow these year-round across nearly 10 ha. of glass houses. The plants are air-purifying and carry the Air So Pure label. We offer the larger pot sizes: 17 to 27 cm. Besides Spathiphyllum, we periodically have Hydrangeas, Green Orange and Portulaca," says Nancy. The company, which started out selling poinsettias, belongs to the Zuidgeest and Van Dijk families, both of whom have a long history in the Westland region. Sustainability and energy-neutral cultivation have been important to Bestplant for a long time. Nancy: "For example, we have about 500 solar panels and are connected to geothermal energy."
Cursing and dragging
Nancy: Bestplant trades both via the auction and direct, and since the end of 2020 Bestplant has been working completely digitally. "When I started in sales here four years ago, the company had just started using Floriday. It was then up to me to give the entire product range a place in the platform and to set up everything correctly for sales within it. Quite a task! I cursed at Floriday a lot because not everything worked right the first time, and I also had to drag colleagues with me. That wasn't always easy. It helps that I am always open to new things, especially if it can bring us something good."
Persistence wins
During the coronavirus period, order requests started to get busier and busier. Six months ago, Nancy really began to experience a turning point in her work. "I noticed that I received fewer mails and phone calls and that the order requests were placed just as well, via Floriday. I could literally do my work in less time. Initially, there were two of us in sales. Now I can also take care of the bookkeeping and administration."
Knowledge is growing for everyone
"You notice that everything and everyone around the platform is growing with it. I now receive a much faster response from the support team. And the helpdesk of our software supplier is also noticing an increase in knowledge. That really makes the work a lot nicer," says Nancy.
"We work partly through the API link with Floriday and partly in the screen. We also still have supply rules in FloraXchange, but it would be very nice if all direct sales were done only through Floriday. That saves a lot of work! We therefore hope that more and more buyers will soon switch to Floriday.
In Floriday, Nancy likes working with weekly lists. "And I turn trade items on or off with one click, it works fast. We also do corrections via Floriday. The working method is also becoming clearer and simpler. Last year it was still a bit messy. That's really less now." Nancy also processes the offers and contracts in the platform. "Everything is in there and doesn't need to be added to. This means I'm done in no time at all."
More wishes and insight
Nancy still has wishes for Floriday. She places these wishes on the interactive roadmap of Floriday. So far, she has not collected enough votes from other users for her wishes, so they have not yet been taken up. "But a grower can also have really specific wishes that other growers can't do anything with. That's why I understand that not everything can be implemented just like that." Nancy actively keeps track of the wishes that are posted and also regularly comments on them."
Be open to the future
Nancy: "I really believe in digitalisation and automation. It provides speed and effectiveness. My tip for growers and buyers who are not yet working with the platform, but might consider it: be open. Technology can bring you so much. And don't hesitate to get in touch, the Product Coaches will be happy to help. This is possible at the beginning, but also once you have been working for a while. For example, in March we were given a refresher course with the Floriday CheckUp!"