Timber and Building Supplies Holland

Timber and Building Supplies Holland, known as TABS Holland, arose from the merger between Pontmeyer, Jongeneel and seven other construction wholesalers. From its twelve central DCs located across the Netherlands, the business distributes all kinds and sizes of wood and building materials to around a hundred local branches.

René van Kesteren is the manager of the central supply chain department in Zaandam, where ten new planners were recruited in one year.

He noticed that the labour market was limited at the time. “Good people are hard to find and newcomers want a hip and dynamic working environment. Neither of which are typically associated with the construction sector.”

The positive evolution of the inventory management function within the company has helped tremendously in attracting young talent: “At first, we were seen purely as just the ‘ordering department’, with people who only had to press the order button, so to speak. Now we are a real supply chain department, focused on optimising availability, stock turns and processes. Slim4’s management by exception principles has helped enormously with this development. Routine tasks are automated and planners are free to focus on process improvements.”

A good example of a situation that requires collaboration and process improvement is the preparation required for the new garden season. This is typically the annual moment when the demand for wood in the Netherlands peaks.

“For this, we have to start building up stock levels in time, otherwise we can never have everything available on the shelf when required. Planners must then try to manage the peak in a smart way and also involve suppliers in this. This requires a completely different skill set than just preparing orders; namely exploring scenarios, collaborating with suppliers and sharing purchasing forecasts. However, our planners now have time for this.”