Procter & Gamble: ”It just really click between us”

Van Duuren Districenters transports beauty products daily from Procter & Gamble’s central distribution centre in Bournemouth to the Netherlands. “If we pick up in the UK on day A, we make sure that it is in the Netherlands on day B and then delivered to all Procter & Gamble customers in the shops on day C”, states Stef Blommaart, resolutely. For over two years, Sue Light, Outbound Logistics Leader within the Procter & Gamble
Bournemouth Distribution Centre, has been working with Van Duuren for more than two years and she is enthusiastic. “The communication is always good and everyone is prepared to solve problems quickly and efficiently. Perhaps this is a typical Dutch way of looking at things? In any case, it’s the kind of attitude I find at Van Duuren. Recently a colleague had a problem with a haulier who couldn’t get the products to the client in time. We asked Van Duuren if they could help. Stef immediately made the call, and thanks to his prompt action we managed to get the goods delivered on time after all.”

Procter & Gamble does impose a number of requirements for the transport of beauty products. For example, the vehicles must be clean and must not contain any odours from other products. “Wishes that we take very seriously”, to continue to refine the process. We discuss practical matters, such as the method of packaging and pallet heights, the connection with the boat, etc., but we also work on improvements in the longer term.

Recently, for example, we started using the Internet to send shipping data, which allows us to compare the physical flow with the data flow even better. Whether our attitude is typically Dutch? Perhaps, but in any case, it is the working method we want to stand for. Incidentally, working with Sue and her colleagues is also very pleasant,
It just works well between us.