Successful make-over in Zwijnaarde

Since last autumn we have a brand-new, totally renovated office building in Zwijnaarde for about 400 colleagues. Project manager Mario Meert of Technics gives us a tour.

9,500

m² office

“We'd been looking for a new regional office in the Ghent area to replace the rented sites in Deinze and Merelbeke for some time. In the summer of 2020, we bought the former Thomas Cook head office, next to the Zwijnaarde Technology Park, just outside the city. After a total renovation which took just under two years, the building now houses all of Bike Republic, Jims and SmartWithFood's support services, as well as colleagues from IT, P&O, Contact Centre and Technics. The site covers 9,500 m² of office space and has 261 parking spaces on three levels, with the entire right wing2,500 m² of space and 50 parking spaces - available for rental.”

Urban look

“The Technics colleagues renovated the dated building. This was not straightforward, as we only had a limited technical file and no digital plans at all. But the job got done and the building was given a proper makeover. The structure of the building remained largely untouched. The former interior patio was covered and the interior was revamped, recognisably Colruyt Group but with the techniques and structural work left visible, giving it a slightly more urban look.”

Easily accessible

“The site in Zwijnaarde is easily accessible by public transport, car and bicycle, coming from the station or the cycle highways from Kortrijk and Oudenaarde. The bicycle shed at the front is good for about 150 bikes and is equipped with an assistance column with a bicycle pump, tools for small repairs, etc. And with partner Max Mobiel we're trying out a shuttle service between Ghent-Sint-Pieters station and the Technology park. About fifteen colleagues have already signed up for this service. 48 cars are able to simultaneously charge their batteries at the DATS 24 charging points on the car park.”

Taking a break in a pleasant setting

“The canteen has a salad bar and fresh bread products in addition to a wide assortment. The interior is pleasant and varied, a relaxing place to eat and take a break, but also to have meetings or work. If the weather's nice, the renovated and enlarged terrace is a pleasant place to relax. The building's forecourt is still being landscaped and will be used as an open meeting place.”

Sustainability rules

“The building is equipped with economical LED lighting. It has no air conditioning but does have an environmentally friendly and low-energy water evaporative cooling system to keep the building cool in summer. Only the hotter data rooms have a cooling installation that works on propane, a natural refrigerant. The heat emitted by this cooling installation is recovered to heat other areas. Rainwater is collected and reused in the sanitary facilities, there's a green roof with mosses, succulents and grasses, and no fewer than 524 solar panels generate 186 MWh of electricity annually.”

Photo: Katleen

Anyone who goes shopping is guaranteed to walk out with a full cart. But how do we know how much stock we need on our shelves? And what should it be? Colleagues reveal how they ensure the shelves are well-stocked.

Sales forecasts

1. Making accurate forecasts

2. Building up centralised stock

“We place orders based partly on forecasts", stock manager David Van Begin, says. “But there are also specific points of attention. In case of imports, we need to order on time, as much as five months in advance! When ordering 'Fresh' products, you mustn't make massive orders due to the short shelf life. If we expect a peak, we build up stock in advance. From July onwards, we start ordering letter biscuits for Saint Nicholas. This allows the supplier to stagger production and we're sure to have enough. In case of an unexpected increase in sales, we see whether the supplier can deliver faster or more. We always aim for full pallets and loads, which saves work and transport. And sometimes we get a volume discount.”

3. Reception

“Our goal is to spread all expected orders over the day and week”, planning coordinator Roel Boriau explains. “We don't want all suppliers waiting at the door at 9 a.m., do we? (laughs) Based on our capacity –number of workers, unloading bays and location – we determine possible delivery moments and locations. Our distribution centre in Ollignies receives an average of 6,250 pallets a day. Our warehouses are big, but not always big enough. If we run out of space, we find out what doesn't have to go to the stores immediately and stock it externally. We also plan the return of empties. For instance: After its delivery, AB InBev drives to our return centre to pick up the empties. But if there are more empties than deliveries, extra returns are scheduled.”

4. Tailor-made solutions

Steven Vandevelde, branch stock manager: “We calculate how much stock of an article needs to go to a particular branch. To determine the optimal stock of each store, we take into account store-specific factors such as sales history, tourism and events. We'll provide more ice cream in summer than in winter, and more at Colruyt Middelkerke than at Colruyt Liège. And at Colruyt Boom, we stock an extra supply of ice cubes during Tomorrowland. However, it's not only about stocking stores. In the period before stores close for renovation, we have to scale down stocks. We also monitor the waste registration and stock counts per store to know what is still available. In short, we need to keep an eye on many different parameters.”

Stocked store shelves: quite a challenge

“We make every effort to stock our stores on time and sufficiently”, Sam Lobbens, department head of Sales forecasts and Branch stock management, says. “But for various reasons, sometimes there are gaps in the shelves. These are challenging times in that respect. For example, due to the scarcity of means of transport - from containers to drivers - or raw materials. Production problems also occur regularly now. In July, for instance, chocolate factory Callebaut was briefly shut down. And suppliers of biscuits (containing chocolate) are still experiencing delays now. When stock difficulties arise, every link in our chain is important to minimise the impact for the customer. Our purchasers consult

5. To the stores

“We organise the transport to the stores”, Pauline Cocquyt, transport coordinator, says. “We plan which driver transports what, when and to which store as best as possible, taking into account what was sold the day before. Anything sold is always replenished. During busy periods, we prepare in advance. For Christmas and New Year, we check from September onwards what volumes can be expected in order to schedule the right number of drivers. The stores contain 10 % more products which translates into about 1,000 extra trips every day! Snow, traffic jams, etc. provide extra challenges to get everything to the stores on time. In this case, we need to make some changes in the planning and prioritise: fruit and vegetables are given priority … and around Christmas, turkey! (laughs)” with suppliers and look for alternative products or manufacturers to solve shortages. By providing additional stock of our own house brand or of other brands. Not enough stock of crucial products? Our branch stock managers will look at how we can distribute the available products fairly among all our branches. And the marketers won't put scarce products in the folder. And of course our store workers are also crucial: they inform customers, offer alternatives and, through product positioning and aisle management, ensure that gaps in the shelves are not noticeable.”