.png){kind=small}
Van Gelder Groente
& Fruit digitizes packaging management
with RTI.
Van Gelder Groente & Fruit, a leading supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables to the hospitality and healthcare sector, transformed its packaging management with RTI Blockchain.
By moving from handwritten forms to fully digital registration, the company significantly reduced the number of errors, improved efficiency and got a better grip on packaging flows. The result: a streamlined operation that perfectly matches Van Gelder's automated warehouse and rapid distribution network.
.png)
“Since we've been using RTI Blockchain, we've seen a clear decrease in errors and time-consuming manual tasks. The number of complaints about deliveries has fallen and the entire process has become much more reliable thanks to real-time scanning before and during transport.”
— Jeffrey Mekes — Assistant Warehouse Manager,
Van Gelder Groente & Fruit
An innovative player in fresh distribution
Every day, Van Gelder Groente & Fruit delivers fresh products to the hospitality industry, hospitals and individuals. With a range that can be ordered individually, Van Gelder stands out for its flexibility and customer focus.
The company serves over 3,500 customers and works with advanced logistics systems — but was still stuck with handwritten packaging receipts until recently.
The challenge: manual and error-prone
“We worked with receipts that later had to be entered manually. That took a lot of time, was error-prone and didn't suit our automated warehouse at all.”
The switch to a digital solution was inevitable, but not without obstacles. Scanning roll containers without previously known barcodes, in particular, posed a technical challenge — something that was new territory for both RTI and Van Gelder.
“Our biggest challenge was the transition from manual processes to digital recording,” says Jeffrey Mekes, Assistant Warehouse Manager at Van Gelder.
The solution: RTI as
digital switch
Together with the RTI Blockchain team, a customized solution was developed that takes into account the complexity of Van Gelders processes. The phased implementation started in May 2024, with routes being added step by step. All routes are now active and the packaging process is fully digitally registered.
In practice, the RTI app and dashboard appear to be very user-friendly — even drivers who initially dreaded it indicated after a brief explanation that the system works easily.
“We started with a challenge, but the result is a system that really improves our daily activities. Further optimizations are being made, with the aim of achieving a fully integrated and error-free load carrier process.”
Fewer errors, more time savings
The results are immediately noticeable:
- The front office no longer has to manually enter packaging receipts.
- The number of complaints about incorrectly delivered or forgotten packaging has fallen drastically.
- The process has become more reliable: crates are now scanned before and upon delivery, preventing errors.
“Since we've been using RTI Blockchain, we've seen a clear decrease in errors and time-consuming manual tasks. The number of complaints about deliveries has fallen and the entire process has become much more reliable thanks to real-time scanning before and during transport.”
Collaboration and future
Although Van Gelder is still at the start of working with RTI, the first steps are promising. Further optimizations are being tackled together with the ICT department, with the aim of a fully integrated and error-free packaging process.
Jeffrey is enthusiastic about the collaboration with RTI Blockchain: “Communication with RTI is really great. When I needed someone at night, they were ready — you don't see that often.”
.png)
Get it now
RTI Management
Process Design©
Take advantage of the RTI Management Process Design framework to optimize your management processes for reusable load carriers.