Customer Case

Hoek Group invested in a GearStation to reduce the number of picking errors. This results in higher customer satisfaction, fewer inventory discrepancies, and less rework. IT Manager Marcel van Egmond is enthusiastic about the system: "With the GearStation, we fine-tune every detail during the picking process." The GearStation verifies whether the correct flower and the correct quantity of flowers or bunches match the order. If an error is detected, the bucket is automatically directed to the control station for correction.

Hoek Group is a family-owned business with over forty years of experience in the global import and export of flowers and plants. Six years ago, the company built a new facility to bring all activities under one roof. To increase efficiency and flexibility in logistics, they chose a combination of automated and manual order processing.

Van Egmond explains: “We export to fifty countries at store level. Customers can order, for example, twenty bunches of tulips and forty bunches of roses through our webshop — very granular ordering. We are a stock-holding company with around two thousand carts in inventory. We offer 24/7 availability through the webshop and start picking immediately in the morning. Suppose a customer orders forty red roses, but only twenty are picked. The GearStation detects that twenty are missing, and we must correct this before the order is packed.”

Hoek Group serves around eight hundred customers daily, both large and small. “If a picking error occurs, we must detect and resolve it immediately,” says Van Egmond.In 2022, the company conducted a pilot with the GearStation and was immediately impressed by its capabilities. “We have eleven employees at the packing tables. Before implementation, they spent approximately 40% of their time on peripheral tasks. Now, the picked item passes under the machine, which validates whether the quantity is correct.” Incorrect picks are automatically sorted out and sent to the error station, where an employee can correct them. “The process has become much more consistent, and we have significantly reduced noise in the operation.”

Implementing the GearStation required time and dedication, Van Egmond explains. “The device needs to be trained — it must recognize flowers and quantities. With an assortment of thousands of different flowers, we started with the Top 10 products. Initially, we trained it incorrectly for some time, which was an important learning moment. Our IT team and the Gearbox team worked closely together to configure the machine properly. You need to invest time and energy in that.” According to the IT Manager, the GearStation continues to improve its validation performance.

Mike van Marrewijk, Customer Success Specialist at Gearbox, adds: “The Gearbox application Mission Control enables targeted article searches by barcode via a dedicated customer portal, allowing users to provide feedback. Using article information and corresponding product images, incorrect picks or system errors can be identified more quickly.”

“We are also very satisfied with the collaboration; Gearbox always responds promptly to our questions,” Van Egmond concludes.

The GearStation not only helps Hoek Group reduce picking errors and increase customer satisfaction, but also provides additional valuable insights. “If a new picker in the picking area consistently makes errors, we see that reflected in the GearStation data. That tells us someone is not yet fully trained, and we can take targeted action.” “These are great indicators that the system does exactly what it is designed to do,” says Van Egmond. “The GearStation is a strong product that can be deployed for multiple purposes.”