For 65 years, Kivits B.V. has been active as a producer and wholesaler of fresh (and frozen) specialty foods. What began as a small family business has grown into an organization with multiple operating companies, its own production facilities, and approximately eighty employees.

That growth placed increasingly higher demands on the company’s operations. SAP Business One had provided a solid foundation for this for many years, but for further development, Kivits was primarily looking for a partner that not only provided technology but also contributed ideas.

Good chemistry

Kivits has been using SAP Business One since 2009. The initial switch was necessary because the software the company was using at the time did not offer sufficient capabilities to support the company’s growth.

The SAP Business One partner that Kivits had been working with was acquired several times in quick succession by a larger company. Managing Director Henk Meiderwijk felt that what was missing most was personal involvement. “With all due respect: I’ve never even seen some of these companies, except on the invoice.”

That changed thanks to Logres. “We hit it off right away. You can tell there are people there who really want to understand how your business works.”

Growing Without Losing Control

In recent years, Kivits has continued to grow. New operating companies were added, an acquisition was completed, and several limited liability companies were integrated into SAP Business One.

Logres played an important role in this process. First, during the technical migration to SAP Business One version 10, and then in integrating various companies into a single environment.

Henk: “A migration like this is always nerve-wracking, but the project planning was on point, and the consultants really listened to our needs. Of course, you always run into issues along the way, but that’s just part of the process.”

The result is a much clearer overview of the entire organization. Intercompany processes are largely automated, consolidation has become simpler, and financial reports provide insights more quickly.

Less manual labor

Whereas employees used to spend a lot of time on manual tasks, many processes are now automated. “We used to have to retype an intercompany invoice with two or three hundred lines from start to finish. Now it takes just a few seconds.”

This time savings allows employees to focus on further optimizing processes.

Kivits also sees many new opportunities in the area of production. “We’re using the Service Layer to continue digitizing our production processes. We have better financial control, Sales can collaborate more effectively, and our quality department also has faster access to the right information. SAP Business One is really opening new doors in every area.”

Personalized Service

According to Meiderwijk, Logres stands out primarily because of its approach to collaboration: “Short lines of communication, personal attention, and, above all, no fuss.” Whenever he has a question, he can contact a consultant directly.

Henk: “At Logres, they really think things through with you. Is something truly business-critical, or can it wait until tomorrow? They’re very good at assessing that. I’d give them a solid 9!”

It’s precisely that practical approach that he appreciates. “With some companies, it takes three days just to come up with a plan. Logres just looks at what needs to be done and gets to work.”

Ready for the Next Step

For Kivits, the focus in the coming years will be on further digitization. This includes online stores, EDI integrations, portals, and further optimization of production and logistics processes.

With SAP Business One as its foundation and Logres as its partner, Meiderwijk is looking ahead with confidence. “We first got our internal operations in order. Now we can continue to digitize our external operations step by step.”

www.kivitsbv.nl