"Many AGF trading companies have a lot of data available, but hardly do anything with it," says William Verhoeven of Progent. "As a result, they often rely on gut feeling in their business dealings and only find out at the end of the year or month whether they've made a profit. In our view, you should know what you've gained or lost on the same day. That's why we provide them with dashboards that offer tools to manage their business, allowing them to make decisions based on facts."
Photo right: William Verhoeven and Mark Verloop of Progent
Progent specializes in turning data into actionable insights for the fresh produce industry. "We combine data from ERP systems, financial packages, production machines, and truck onboard computers into a data warehouse and create dashboards that give a clear, instant view of how the business is performing," explains William. "What sets us apart is that we are not dependent on any specific system. Whether it's I-Fresh, Addition Solutions, or FreshERP, we can quickly integrate all the data with a data warehouse. This makes us unique compared to traditional dashboard providers."
"Our solution is specifically designed for fresh produce companies. A major advantage is that both my colleague Mark Verloop and I have worked for many years in fresh produce businesses. That experience is invaluable. We understand specific industry challenges like stock visibility, identifying old or high-risk batches, re-packing results, and how those relate to delivered quality. Because we know the industry well, we can quickly implement new features in a way that fits the needs of each company."
"As businesses grow, new Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) emerge, and they need to be easily tracked. You don't want to scroll through endless Excel files; you need a clear, instant view of what's going well and where adjustments are needed. Power BI makes this possible. We don't just provide software—we deliver a complete data solution, allowing companies to see their performance at a glance."
In recent years, dozens of fresh produce trading companies have turned to Progent. "This month, four more companies are going live," says William proudly. "Businesses are thrilled because, through the dashboard, they have up-to-date daily figures for purchasing and sales, and they also gain control over debtors and creditors. Information such as purchasing margins, outstanding amounts by country and customer, as well as quality reports and claims reports, are instantly visible. And we're not stopping there—this December, we're launching a new tool that integrates Data Science, Machine Learning, and AI!"
Frank Maas (Fair Connection): "A fantastic overview in just a few clicks"
One of the companies that started using Progent's Power BI solutions this year is Fair Connection, a specialist in grapes, citrus, and avocados, based in Ridderkerk. "We heard great things about Progent from someone who helped implement the software for us, and they didn't disappoint. Thanks to these modules, we have a clear understanding of our figures and can provide detailed reports to our retail customers. If we had to do that ourselves, it would take a lot of time. Now, we can get a fantastic overview in just a few clicks."
Frank is highly satisfied with the package. "What stands out is the ease of use. You can tell that these developers come from the industry. It makes communication so much smoother, and they understand what we need with just a few words." At this point, the fresh produce trader has no additional requests. "For now, the current options are more than sufficient. I can recommend it to everyone."
Jan van der Voort (TFC): "Their deep industry knowledge is a huge advantage"
TFC Holland, based in Waddinxveen, also started using Progent's solutions this year. From the Netherlands, TFC Holland supplies supermarket chains, specialty shops, and wholesale markets across Europe. To ensure a stable supply chain, it imports exotic fruits and vegetables from over 50 countries. The product range includes more than 200 items, including Fairtrade and organic certified products. Alongside its parent company BayWa Global Produce, TFC is also involved in production.
Jan van der Voort of TFC knew William and Mark from a previous role, so it was an easy choice for him to reach out to them for data solutions. "I know these guys and how they work. The biggest advantage is that they have deep knowledge of the industry. Many BI companies can show you impressive reports, but if they don't understand what we do here, it takes a lot of time to explain the workings of a fresh produce business. With people who grasp it immediately, everything runs much more smoothly."
"We began our collaboration with Progent by making all the logistics and financial data surrounding our 'apple project' more accessible—where we receive, store, and ship apples for our sister organization. Then, Progent helped us unlock data from our current ERP system. Previously, the data was only available through reports that had to be generated repeatedly, but now it's accessible through dashboards. We started with their standard reports, which in my opinion is key, as it immediately provides about 75% of the information you need. Another big advantage is that, with this 'standard' solution, we were live within two weeks. The data warehouse will ensure that our new ERP system and other sources can be easily integrated while keeping the dashboards consistent and enriched."
For more information:
William Verhoeven
Progent
Tel: +31 (0)85 82 24 12 4
[email protected]
www.progent.nl
Frank Maas
Fair Connection
Tel: +31 (0)180 763 102
[email protected]
www.fairconnection.eu
Jan van der Voort
TFC
Tel: +31 (0)6 45137656
[email protected]
www.tfc-holland.nl