"Eosta goes live with Navision after successful implementation by Schouw Informatisering"
Etten-Leur, 5 March 2004 - After a short implementation period lasting only six months, this week Eosta has successfully gone live with Microsoft® Business Solutions-Navision® implemented by Schouw Informatisering. Eosta is European distributor of organic fruit and vegetables grown all over the world. Eosta chose Microsoft Navision and Schouw because they offer an integrated software solution which supports the current financial and logistics processes and which is also flexible, now and in the future, and will be able to cope with future developments. In addition, the continuity of this software solution is guaranteed in the long-term.
Trendsetter in the Fruit & Vegetable market
"Bearing in mind that our market is continually developing, from niche to mainstream market, it is becoming increasingly important for our organisation to have full insight into the cost structure of the international trade", Peter Stijkel, financial director at Eosta, explains. "ICT fulfils a crucial role in this, and not only now, but also in the future, because our company is going through many developments in a rapid tempo. By selecting the Navision software and an organisation such as Schouw Informatisering we think that we have the ideal starting position to be able to cope with all these developments in the long-term. This software implementation has moved us in one go right to the top of the Fruit & Vegetable market as far as tracking and tracing, transparency in the supply chain and standards for quality and certifications such as HACCP, BRC, IFS and EurepGap are concerned."
Sector specific
Besides standard Navision, Eosta is also using the Fruit & Vegetable software developed by Schouw Informatisering. This software focuses specifically on the two operational roles of the Eosta organisation, that is as importer, the role of trader, and as a supplier of consumer packages, the role of manufacturer. For example, the Fruit & Vegetable software covers the required functionality in the area of tracking & tracing, production, haulage, sales on account and settlement. But the software also supports generating and monitoring forecasts for purchasing on a seasonal, weekly and even daily basis from our affiliated growers. In addition, this same functionality is available to support the sales process. "All software elements are ideally tailored to Eosta's processes, because it's our unique processes which distinguish us from our competitors", according to Peter Stijkel.
Knowing in advance what ICT can achieve
Following an extensive case study Eosta chose Schouw Informatisering as its implementation partner. Peter Stijkel: "Schouw Informatisering were able to indicate exactly how they would approach the implementation, which of our processes would be automated and in what way, what it would all cost, but above all, what the benefits would be for us. After the case study we knew exactly where we stood. This sounds good, but Schouw has proven that they do in fact do what they say they will do."
Eosta
Eosta is located in Waddinxveen, near Rotterdam in the Netherlands, and specialises in the cultivation, distribution and marketing of organic fruit and vegetables. Eosta recently launched the concept Nature & More at the BioFach, the World Organic Trade Fair. Nature & More is more than just a quality system; it is also a communications and traceability system for consumers. Using this system, consumers can gain information about the origin of the products they have bought directly. This system also provides insight into the threefold quality control structure which embraces the product itself as well as ecological and social aspects of the product concerned. (See www.natureandmore.com for further information.) Eosta markets batches of produce for organic growers from all over the world and distributes mainly to European countries, the United States and the Far East. Eosta delivers mainly to retailers and to the specialised organic food shops based on the principle of fresh deliveries daily. Eosta has a combination of a unique product range which can be supplied all year round, efficient logistics and facilities for pre-packaging. Eosta has justly earned the title of market leader in the import of organic fruit from abroad and the export of Dutch organic vegetables.