“I am sure that we can now serve customers better with less stock.”

About IVOL

Jim Luyendijk started in 1999 as an employee at IVOL, which was then still a wholesale company called Brink's High Tech Parts. Today, Jim is the owner of the company, which has grown into a successful international player, serving many European countries with its webshops.

Visiting IVOL's warehouse

We visited IVOL, where Jim gave us a tour of the impressive warehouse. ‘IVOL is a webshop specializing in various product categories, including office chairs, whiteboards, and rubber mats. We have a warehouse of about 5,000 m².’

IVOL has been working with Picqer since 2018 and has since optimized and simplified many processes. New employees find their way around faster, and fewer mistakes are made. In addition, they can grow faster and more easily because processes are better structured.

Curious about how IVOL became so successful and the challenges they have overcome, we sat down with Jim. You can read the conversation on this page or watch the video below.

Shipping with different carriers

IVOL operates in 20 countries across Europe. To deliver all products as quickly as possible, they work with many different carriers. Jim explains that international customers are used to waiting 2 to 3 days for an order, whereas Dutch customers often expect faster delivery.

‘For urgent orders, we use Same Day Delivery. We also work with parcel carriers and pallet shippers for large products and bulk orders. The weight and dimensions are stored in Picqer. If someone orders 10 units of a product, the system automatically calculates the best carrier. Setting it up takes some effort, but once done, everything runs automatically, reducing errors.’

Standing out from the competition

IVOL takes various measures to differentiate itself from competitors. ‘We always strive for a good price-quality ratio. A large stock so we can quickly fulfill large orders. Tiered pricing, so you get discounts when buying 5, 10, 20, or 50 office chairs. And we constantly innovate our models. If we see high demand for office chairs with seat depth adjustment, we work with a manufacturer to develop a chair that meets our specifications.’

Customer service is also a key focus. ‘When you call or email us, you immediately reach a dedicated customer service agent. Some of them previously worked in the warehouse, so they know the products firsthand.’

At IVOL, order pickers work 7 days a week. Jim explains why. ‘We have the infrastructure in place—the warehouse and the software. We've set it up so that the warehouse can operate independently of office staff. It would be a waste to run it only 5 days a week. Plus, customers ordering on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday often receive their order by Monday.’

Making a bigger impact with less stock

Before IVOL used warehouse software, inventory was tracked manually, and only one person often knew where a product was stored. ‘We frequently had to tell customers we were out of stock or had too much of certain products. That’s when we realized we needed automation. Now, with Picqer and smart purchasing recommendations, I am sure that we can serve customers better with less stock.’

Different departments with specialized tasks

Jim showed us the various sections of the warehouse and explained the logic behind its organization. ‘The warehouse is divided into three segments. Besides ready-made products, we also offer custom-made items, like cutting rubber mats to size. Picqer tags help the warehouse manager assign orders to the right staff, ensuring they go to the correct department. We also have separate sections for returns, small packages, and office chairs. This setup minimizes unnecessary movement within the warehouse.’

Preventing delivery errors with colored tape

Creativity can make a big difference with simple adjustments. I asked Jim about the use of colored sections and tape. ‘This helps us work with different carriers. For example, if a carrier picks up an order, we tell them all pallets with blue tape are theirs. This way, a carrier never takes the wrong pallet by mistake—something that happened in the past, sometimes sending pallets to the wrong country.’

Analyzing data with Picqer

Jim regularly analyzes data to make strategic decisions. ‘We ensure that fast-selling products are well stocked and are careful with slower-moving products. Picqer’s reports help us track bestsellers over the past year, and we export that data to Excel. We also identify slow-moving products and adjust prices to increase turnover.’

He also uses Picqer to track profit margins. ‘Picqer stores purchase and sales prices, instantly calculating margins. By exporting supplier data from Picqer, I can see if any margins are below our target and adjust accordingly to keep the business profitable.’

The future of IVOL

Jim shares his vision for the future: ‘We’re not done growing. We aim to expand our product range, manufacture more products in Asia, and enter new markets. In the short term, we want to expand to the Czech Republic, Poland, and Scandinavia. In existing markets, we will continue to grow by adding new products daily.’