Belt Tomaten is located in the Koekoekspolder in IJsselmuiden. The company grows tomatoes, vine tomatoes, snack tomatoes and plum tomatoes at 3 different locations. Nitea's software now runs on all locations. "We started on 1 location and rolled out the software slowly over the other locations. You can grow with Work-IT at our own pace. ‘It is well liked’, says business manager Huzen.
The tomato nursery has been working with software from Nitea since 2014. Van den Belt was already looking for a path and registration system in 2012 because the company wanted to gain more insight into the performance per employee. "We sat around the table with a number of companies, but we found the investments in hardware very large, such as terminals in the greenhouses," says Huzen. "We ultimately opted for a system outside the industry, but we kept an eye on developments in the sector. When Nitea came alongside the support for fixed terminals a few years later with the possibility of entering and scanning via the mobile phone, we switched."
More insight into costs
Belt Tomato started with the main module labour and production. This gave the nursery the time registration, to confirm the amount of work carried out in cutting and harvesting, according to Huzen. "We know exactly in which time actions are performed, and we also have insight into the performance per employee." With the purchase of the Planning module, at the end of 2016. Nitea's software has become the guiding principle for the personnel administration. Belt Tomato also has the modules Billboard-IT and Inform-IT.
According to Huzen, the Planning module gives a lot of peace within the nurseries. "With this, we can make daily and weekly plans. On Saturday we have a large group of students. Everyone knows in advance what jobs need to be carried out, there is a more relaxed atmosphere in the canteen in the morning. We tested in 2017 with a reward on performance for students and temporary workers. We wanted to have insight into the remuneration on the Inform-IT portal. Nitea has made that for us. We will continue this in 2018."
In addition, Huzen notes that the tomato nursery has more insight into labour costs. "Labour is a considerable expense, it is important that you have a good overview of these costs," he says. The wage costs are now closer to the actual costs. This way we have more selective information regarding breeds and labour. Partly on the basis of these data, we can make choices with which varieties we want to continue. In this way, the software recurs for the company. We also want to start working with the annual planning of the Planning module in 2018, which we will look in to.
Modular character
The implementation of Work-IT went well. Huzen thinks it's a big advantage that the system has a modular character. "We started with one location in 2014. When the software was up and running, we rolled it out over the other locations. If you try to do everything at once, you have a chance of drowning in a system. Last year we invested in a weighbridge at the snack tomatoes to get a better picture of the performance. On that basis, we started working with the remuneration system whereby people can earn more. We have worked with this for a year and it works fine. We also want to apply this approach in the other locations in 2018."
André Huzen is satisfied with the guidance from Nitea. "There is a lot possible, Nitea is always willing to think along with you. Sometimes searching for the right way to fit a functionality into the company, this works well. Nitea installed the software at the locations and it has been explained on location a few times. For questions there is a good service desk, there is time made for you, but at the end of the day, you need to learn it yourself. What I also find a plus point is that Nitea is open to suggestions. If you have a question about something that can also be useful for other growers, it will be included in the software."
About Belt Tomatoes
Belt Tomatoes in IJsselmuiden was founded in 1969 by the parents of the current owners Klaas and Jacob van den Belt. Initially, it was a field vegetable and chicory grower. In 1989 they decided to start growing tomatoes. The nursery consists of 3 locations, where tomatoes, vine tomatoes, snack tomatoes and plum tomatoes are grown. There are 20 permanent employees and up to 250 school students and temporary workers at Belt Tomatoes.
(This interview was made in collaboration between Annemarie Gerbrandy of Klare Taal and Belt Tomatoes.)