Smart omnichannel logistics


– written by Frank Gielen in online Retailer



In years to come, the number of shipments and, consequently, the number of logistics movements will continue to increase. There is enormous demand for e-commerce logistics services. According to Michael Cremers of Promese Logistics, many providers offer these services, although only a select number can do so in an optimally efficient manner. Therein lies the rub. Promese stands out as an omnichannel fulfilment organisation that operates on both the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets – all from a single warehouse and with one comprehensive logistics system that was developed in house and which has garnered a lot of attention from interested outsiders.

Promese was founded nearly thirty-five years ago as a European distribution channel for the distribution of CDs, videos and games from companies such as Warner Home and Universal Pictures. “As a result of developments in that sector, we decided to expand our scope around seven years ago,” says Cremers. “We were able to apply the knowledge and experience we acquired during those years in various new market segments with great success. For example, we have been offering full-service solutions with regard to e-fulfilment, wholesale, retail and omnichannel for many years. We specialise in both B2B and B2C fulfilment. This makes us fairly unique. We are strong believers in the combination of physical and online stores and work on the distribution of fashion, home entertainment, sport, shoes, and leisure & outdoor products every single day. Recently, we added the healthcare and pet supplies sectors to our range.”

INNOVATIVE IT
According to Cremers, while Promese may not be the largest party in the aforementioned sectors, it is the most innovative when it comes to IT. “That translates into an iOS-based logistics system (Probis) and an OMS_CMS (Quint) that our clients can interface with and which can also enrich their webshop with a range of additional functionalities. Our solution allows our clients to offer their own customers the highest possible quality of service. The iOS system is also an essential part of our warehouse. Made by our in-house developers, it’s an extremely user-friendly and intuitive system. They actually had their own children test it. It truly is child’s play,” Cremers laughs. “We’ve built a rock-solid foundation, which has not gone unnoticed by our ‘colleagues’, and we’re often asked to make our software available to other parties. We’re not ready to do that just yet, but who knows what the future holds?”

ADDED VALUE
IT forms the heart of Promese: “Logistics is IT.” Brands can also add their products to the virtual shelves of digital warehouses such as Amazon, eBay and Zalando via Promese. Cremers: “The necessary IT interface for these channels often requires a major investment. On top of that, everyone uses their own system. Our IT specialists have already set up the interface, so all our clients have to do is finetune it before reaping the rewards of new earning models at a fraction of the cost. We take care of all logistics matters and any additional e-services (e.g. customer service, product photography, online marketing, etcetera), so clients can focus all their attention on product development, sales and branding. The various kinds of data we collect are exceptionally valuable to our clients. We present this information in the form of clear reports (on resale figures, returns analyses, etcetera), which they can use to optimise their business operations. That’s one of the major themes we will be focusing on in the next few years.” Promese used to have locations in both Eindhoven and Breda, but the company recently relocated all operations to its new warehouse at the Flight Forum near Eindhoven Airport.

“We have a surface area of 22,500 m² available to us and we are already planning an expansion to 30,000 m²,” Cremers reveals. “Our focus is not on becoming the largest party in any one sector; instead, we want to be the most innovative and therefore a professional (and potentially major) party that operates across the entire market. What sets us apart is the fact that we specialise in both the B2B and B2C streams and can process these concurrently. This allows us to provide full-range omnichannel logistics services for brands or retail chains, all from one inventory if need be.”