“Picqer forms the backbone of our processes”

About VASCO-fulfilment

In 2015, Ruben de Jager started VASCO-fulfilment. The company has 12 employees who handle the entire logistics process, from goods reception to returns processing, for 50 fulfilment clients every day.

Taking over the logistics process

While studying Small Business and Retail Management, Ruben de Jager ran a webshop and noticed how much time and focus the operational side required. ‘When you start, you think logistics is something you can just handle on the side. But I quickly realized that with fifteen to twenty orders a day, I was already spending three to four hours on it.’

De Jager heard similar stories from other entrepreneurs, which led him to research e-fulfilment for his graduation project—the outsourcing of webshop logistics. ‘I found that quite a few fulfilment companies operate in the Netherlands, but they mostly offer basic solutions. There are hardly any one-stop-shop solutions for webshops that sell fragile, bulky, or assembled products.’

Many entrepreneurs prefer focusing on purchasing, sales, and marketing rather than logistics. That’s why Ruben de Jager of VASCO-fulfilment takes care of it for them. Picqer even developed a special fulfilment version of its software for VASCO.

Personalized packaging

De Jager decided to sell his webshop and focus on fulfilment after his studies. In 2015, he founded VASCO-fulfilment. ‘We manage every part of the logistics process, from goods reception to returns processing. Additionally, we offer extra services such as assembling composite products, personalized packaging, and wrapping luxury products in tissue paper. This allows clients to rely on a single party for their complete fulfilment, freeing them to focus on purchasing, marketing, and sales.’

Webshop owners often ask De Jager if outsourcing fulfilment is expensive. ‘I always say it’s quite the opposite. You convert fixed costs into variable costs, benefit from economies of scale, and ensure a professional, streamlined order handling process.’ VASCO-fulfilment serves both large and small businesses. ‘Of course, we benefit from high volumes, but if we believe in a concept and the entrepreneur, we’re happy to provide a professional fulfilment solution right from the start.’

Backbone

VASCO has been using Picqer Fulfilment for a year. ‘When I started VASCO in 2015, Picqer Fulfilment wasn’t on the market yet, but I was already familiar with the company. At the time, I chose a different software system that I thought would suit us better.’ This turned out to be a mistake: every change or expansion required a request to the support department. This hindered growth and led to recurring connection costs. The barrier to switching systems grew higher, but VASCO’s rapid expansion made De Jager reconsider.

After a thorough pilot phase, they chose Picqer Fulfilment, mainly because of its system stability, user-friendliness, fast development, and serious entrepreneurs. ‘We wanted software where we could configure a lot ourselves. I was also tired of rising costs.’

Growth ambitions

The transition proved successful, especially since De Jager and his employees can now configure everything per fulfilment client themselves and manage multiple clients within a single account. ‘Picqer Fulfilment is a fast, simple, and modern system where we can do a lot on our own. It now forms the backbone of our logistics processes.’

De Jager has no regrets about switching, though using standard software has its downsides. ‘With our drive for automation and growth ambitions, we actively submit suggestions. Of course, we hope they’re implemented quickly. Picqer takes every suggestion seriously and always tries to understand the underlying question, but they decide what to include.’

Over time, De Jager saw the advantages of this approach. ‘In fulfilment, it’s crucial to maintain uniformity. Picqer’s software must work for all clients. Their clear focus helps me stay focused as well.’ De Jager and his colleagues continue submitting suggestions and have noticed that many have been implemented in recent updates. His goal is for VASCO-fulfilment’s clients to handle as much as possible through the software. ‘Software like Picqer is the key link in that process.’