Van Meines Fishconcepts chooses ReflexBlue

How do you automate business processes quickly, but keep the system simple to use? That was the challenge Mick van Meines of Van Meines Fishconcepts faced. He took up the challenge and now relies on the smart, well thought-out and secure Cloud ERP system ReflexBlue.

Van Meines has been a customer of ReflexSystems from the very beginning. Owner Mick remembers the system working according to DOS. "I have been working for the company since the early 90s. As a six-year-old boy, I was already helping out. I was allowed to fry fish on the crate with my father. He founded our wholesale business in fresh and fried fish over fifty years ago. In Amsterdam." The company now operates in several locations. AMfish convenience in Katwijk and Van Meines Fishconcepts in Zoetermeer. At the latter location, fresh fish concepts are developed and packaged for retail in Europe. We are doing well", says Mick, "there is a lot of demand for our products. Customers trust our service with a capital S! The company is growing fast, so it is important to focus. A good ERP system helps us in this respect."

Trendsetter in fish

"In Amsterdam we worked with Reflex 3000," Mick continues. "We once came into contact with ReflexSystems via a butcher friend of mine. I thought: 'if it works for meat, it can also work for fish'. We were one of the first fish companies to start working with their ERP system. For our newest company Van Meines Fishconcepts in Zoetermeer, we chose the Cloud version ReflexBlue. Also as one of the first fish companies. We wanted to create a good basis quickly. This innovative Cloud ERP application is accessible, easy to expand and paves the way for the future." At the start, Mick did have some reservations: "Actually, I do not really want to be at the forefront of the market, but now I am doing it anyway. And it's going well. We work with it daily, digitising and optimising is ongoing business. Some applications are easier in the Cloud. It remains important that everyone is able to use it.

Collaboration

Soufian Ouald L'Hadj of ReflexSystems: "It is very nice what is happening within our cooperation. I knew Mick as an existing user. When he wanted to automate at the new location, we started talking about ReflexBlue. By brainstorming together, we transformed the wishes into a usable solution. That meant listening carefully, hearing what was going on and testing the limits. Mick is someone who dares to take risks, he really appreciates the application."

ReflexSystems and Van Meines Fishconcepts jointly put the pieces of the puzzle together to automate as many processes as possible and still keep the system simple. Implementation and commissioning followed. A challenge, because Reflex3000, familiar to Mick and his colleagues, has a lot of functionality and ReflexBlue is the somewhat unknown, younger and more ingenious counterpart. "A customer that is used to working in an extensive environment is now faced with an application that looks similar, but works differently and more ingeniously. It's like a new car with smart options," Soufian adds.  

Soufian Ouald L'Hadj (left) and Mick van Meinis

Beating heart

At Van Meines Fishconcepts they are enthusiastic about the extensive possibilities of ReflexBlue. It has become, as Mick describes it, 'the beating heart of the purchase, stock, production and sales process'. He says he made the decision to work with this Cloud solution for the food industry, but not without involving his employees.  "When I have the feeling that it will work, I involve the colleagues and inform them about the choice of the system."

MOT

Mick: "We started the implementation two years ago, the system has been set up. Now an MOT is needed, because ReflexBlue offers more and more possibilities. We need to make time for an evaluation of the current working method: is it going well or can it be done differently, even more efficiently?" Van Meines is responsible for the input, ReflexSystems makes sure it works. "That's right", Soufian agrees. "We feel responsible for the risks of a Cloud solution, so we come up with solutions for when, for example, the internet connection is down. With innovative technology, we ensure that the application remembers what the user was working on, so that as soon as the internet is back on, you can continue as usual." "In doing so, we work together smartly, thoroughly and safely," concludes Mick.

www.vanmeines.nl
www.reflex-systems.nl

Photos: © Roel Dijkstra fotorgrafie