Since 2023, BerryWorld, based in the Dutch municipality of Made, has been working with the digital transport platform Shypple Fresh. For Kees Heeren, BerryWorld’s logistics manager for imports from outside the EU, the platform has been a real game-changer. “Shypple Fresh displays all our container arrivals on one screen, which provides an excellent overview. Previously, we often had to search for information on the shipping companies’ websites and transfer the data ourselves to Excel files. Fortunately, this is now a thing of the past.”

It all started when Kees' colleagues got in touch with Shypple Fresh during a fruit and vegetable fair. “A mutually successful introductory meeting was organised at Shypple and we officially started working together in June 2023.

“It was perfect timing, as the start of the sea transport season for our blueberries, which runs annually from August to early March, occurs gradually, so we had enough time to learn how to work with the platform. Because Shypple Fresh is so easy to use, we quickly became familiar with the program.”

Since raspberries and blackberries have too short a shelf life to be imported by sea, BerryWorld only uses sea containers for the import of blueberries. “The transit time from countries like Peru or South Africa used to be around three weeks, but thanks to a fast connection between Peru and Vlissingen, this has now been reduced to just a few days. The Peruvian season will soon be in its final stages, but we will continue to stock South African blueberries for a while. We will resume the Chilean season at the end of December,” says the head of supply and logistics.

“I think the big advantage of Shypple is that we can have all our logistics data on one platform. This gives us a much better overview. I find it particularly important that all container arrival times are displayed together, one below the other. In addition, you can quickly see on the platform when a container has been selected for customs inspection and whether the inspection has already taken place. This enables us to get containers from the ports of Rotterdam or Vlissingen to Made as quickly as possible,” he emphasises.

Kees is a satisfied user. “There may be new features added in the future, but right now I don’t see anything missing from the platform. The most important thing for me is that the arrival times of shipments are always accurate, and they are. In logistics, you have to deal with numerous factors, such as weather, strikes and customs inspections.

There are always new challenges to be faced. In the event of changes by the shipping company or port, such as a delay or an earlier arrival of a ship, the information is quickly displayed on the platform. In addition, the entire arrival history can be easily consulted in the archive.

Although Shypple Fresh is primarily a digital platform, Kees says that personal contact is not affected by this. “When I want to do something quickly, I always pick up the phone. After all, it is more satisfying to make a call than to just use the chat module. When you have questions, you can always go to your contact and they can guide you through the platform again. I recently visited Shypple Fresh in Rotterdam, to keep personal contact, because I find it very important. In the end, you do business with people, not with a program.”