Schenkeveld invests structurally in people, processes and technology. The Growers United cooperative installed four GearStations at its Rijssenhout location, with the primary goal of optimising product quality. "The GearStation makes it possible to get started with employees right from the outset," says director Piet van der Wel.
Customer case study
Schenkeveld
90 hectares
6 Locations
NL
250,000 kg tomatoes per day
Labour savings
40%
Machines operational
4
KG Processing per hour
7,500
Cost savings
25%
Taking employees to the next level with GearStation
Alongside energy, labour is one of the biggest cost items in greenhouse horticulture. "Our question was: how can we ensure that production workers learn to work faster and better, while at the same time improving product quality?" says Van der Wel. "We supply tomatoes in boxes of 5 and 10 kg. The better our employees perform, the fewer complaints we receive. That starts in the greenhouse."
Following a successful test phase, four GearStations were installed simultaneously at the Rijssenhout site. The AI-controlled machine photographs each box, assesses it for colour, damage and weight, and automatically palletises good batches. The self-learning technology is continuously fed with new images. With four greenhouses covering 11 hectares, the site can generate a lot of data. "The more data we have, the smarter the GearStation becomes," he says.
Better training for staff
The greatest benefit lies in smarter training of employees. A personal report is drawn up for each employee. This means that only employees with deviations receive extra guidance. "The harvesting process accounts for 20-30 per cent of total labour costs. Training our people in a smarter and more efficient way immediately results in cost savings," says the director. "People who do good work do not need to be trained. That also saves on costs."
Each box of tomatoes that passes along the conveyor belt is quality assessed. By linking this assessment to the employee who harvested the box, targeted feedback can be provided. For example, in the case of a colour that is too light or repeated handling damage. Ultimately, he expects this to lead to better quality and fewer complaints. "That doesn't directly result in a higher price, but it does mean less discussion with the customer. If you can achieve that, you've gained another advantage from the machine."
Tekst kolommen
Working together to respond quickly
The collaboration with Gearbox is intensive: meetings are held every two weeks. Gearbox also has someone working continuously on implementing the images and performing updates. Van der Wel thinks that's great. Employees in the hall are also in contact with Gearbox in the event of malfunctions and error messages. "We can always contact them with questions, and teething problems are quickly resolved. We work closely together to make the system even better."
The project was carried out in collaboration with TAKS for the logistics processing, and the company supplied the automation in the processing hall. Van der Wel concludes: "We work with Gearbox on quality and with TAKS on the weighing and palletising system. That collaboration is very important. TAKS has played a leading role in the processing process in the barn."
Quote
“During the implementation of the GearStation at The Valley, we worked together to carefully consider how the concept could work best and be integrated into existing weighing lines. This ensured that we were well prepared for the integration of the system at Schenkeveld. The customer was immediately positive and actively contributed ideas about the implementation of the system throughout the process. Communication is direct with the right people.”
Cor Taks, Sales Engineer - Taks
Further digitisation
Piet van der Wel expects automation and digitisation to become increasingly important for the company. "We are used to investing in cultivation or climate control systems, but we also want to make progress in automation and digitisation in order to remain viable in the future. We are facing rising costs, so we need to keep the cost price of the product under control. But we also have to take into account the changing wishes of our employees. By applying new techniques, the work becomes more interesting and enjoyable for them. We have to move with the times: for the company, the staff and the organisation as a whole."
Quote
Together with Schenkeveld, we have optimised the payback period for the company. This is based on labour savings in both the barn and the greenhouse, but we have also been able to quantify the value of the data. Schenkeveld then dared to deploy four GearStations at once. It's great proof that you have to work together to achieve optimal returns and results. That's what I find so cool about this collaboration."
Ab van Staalduinen
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Sales Manager
