From clicking on a webshop to receiving the package at your doorstep. As a logistics company, we handle all your e-commerce transactions. With a sustainable personnel policy! Want to know more about the path we have taken so far? Find out in the interview with Groeiwaarts below.
Logistics company
As soon as you buy something in a webshop, a whole process starts behind the scenes. Orders are placed, the selected product is taken from the shelves and the stock levels are adjusted, a supplier picks it up and delivers it to your home. These are the most familiar steps, but there is much more to it than that. E-fulfillmentencompasses the entire processing of orders from online stores. From receiving the goods in the warehouse to delivering them to the end customer.
We specialize in e-fulfillment tailored to our customers and for every sales channel. It all started when Chris Pietermans and Daniel Ciccodemarco, two close friends from Tongeren (where they also organize the well-known Les Jardins parties), were asked to take care of the logistics for the webshop they had built for someone. They rented a warehouse and still had space left over.
They soon received orders from large companies to store and distribute their merchandise. "We knew that such activities existed abroad, but in Belgium, no one was really doing it, except for large companies," says Chris, Sales Director and co-owner of BME. "It was non-existent in the SME market. We saw the gap and jumped in. In the beginning, we worked on gut feeling, made a proposal and put it online, and to our great surprise, we quickly received a response."
Making packages
When the logistics company Daniel worked for decided to relocate, we decided to go for it. For me, it was a little less obvious because I had just been offered a promotion. My boss fell off his chair. 'What, you're going to pack parcels in a warehouse?' Actually, he was right. In the beginning, that's what it came down to. He was very supportive, though. Even though I was very happy in my job, I took the plunge. Entrepreneurship is in my blood. It's not just about the pay, but also about what you enjoy doing."
Suddenly, you find yourself in a 200m² warehouse with no logistics experience, yet people were looking to me for guidance. I took care of sales, while Daniel handled operations, development, and IT. Fortunately, we both firmly believe in the "just do it" approach. That's how BME came into being. We soon realized that if we wanted to professionalize, we needed money. To invest in an IT platform, but also in a larger warehouse."
Networking
“Through networking, we learned at the end of 2014 Koen Vanderweyden . After a good conversation about our story, our view of the Belgian market, and e-commerce, we jumped on the e-fulfillment train together just as it was about to leave. After a few Duvels, we immediately felt a connection between us, and our collaboration was sealed on a beer mat. Isn't that how all good collaborations start?" laughs Chris.
"For me, friendship is an absolute prerequisite for doing business together. Without it, it just doesn't work for me. And I can now say that Daniel and Chris have become true friends. But that alone is not enough, of course," adds Koen, finance director and co-owner of BME.
Bobbing boat
“Then there were three of us in our little boat, which was still bobbing around," Chris continues, "and strategically still needed to catch the wind in its sails. The focus was on financial planning, which was Koen's job. "I had two conditions: LRM and KBC had to come on board, and I wanted a 5,000 m² warehouse instead of the proposed 2,000 m². I knew that this would only increase the losses in the first few years, but moving every time is also an investment." They now have six partners, three working and three silent. "They're not that silent, though; we can always turn to them for advice and guidance. We appreciate them very much."
Omnichannel
In 2016, we realized that pure B2C would not be sufficient, and we expanded into the B2B market. Retail space is expensive, and retailers want to use their shelf space efficiently, which is where we come in. We are going omnichannel, another fancy term for taking a broad view and providing the right solution for every customer who comes our way. Our strengths are fast deliveries, digital, and the ability to deliver smaller volumes. Today, BME is an IT company that does e-fulfillment. IT is important; if we master it, we can be fully at the service of a customer and their business model. Tell us what your plan is and where you want to go, and we will support you in that."
Local anchoring
"A successful business does not stand alone; a good network is very important," explains Koen. "You first need to establish a strong local network, not only financially but also in terms of knowledge and advice. Networking is so important, from the VDAB, which helps us find the right employees, to educational institutions, where we are asked to talk about e-commerce, to Flanders Investment Trade, FIT. First, we build local brand awareness, then we go international."
Fragmented subsidy landscape
“Eric Dieussart from FIT heard our story and put us in touch with Hans Versmissen, a business advisor at VLAIO. Hans helped us with the innovation dossier of the Province of Limburg. We used the subsidy to fund our research and now we are looking at the possibilities for the future," says Koen. "Hans' guidance was superb, very accessible. And to be honest, you don't expect that from a government agency. It's a very valuable connection.
The subsidy landscape is extremely fragmented. It is constantly evolving. It is very difficult to keep up with it and put it in the right context. I have given up on trying to research this myself, which is why I am in regular contact with Hans to see what is possible. I don't approach it with the attitude of "I want that subsidy or I need help with that." I tell him what our plans are, and he advises me on how to approach them, what support, but also what knowledge or partners could help us achieve that goal. That approach really pays off for us.
Sustainable personnel policy
“In addition to the innovation subsidy from the province of Limburg, we also receive support from the European Social Fund (ESF) for our personnel policy. We don't want to rely too much on temporary workers; we want to offer a sustainable home base quickly. The support gives us the opportunity to look at our vision on personnel, create competency profiles, and link our wage policy to this."
3D printing competition
The friends are ambitious about the future: "Within five years, they won't be able to ignore us," says Chris. "We were recently announced at an event as the proven talk leader in e-commerce. That's credit where credit is due."
"We want to think along with our customers and always be two steps ahead." "And grow bigger," adds Koen. "Although we still have to wait and see how 3D printers evolve. That's actually our biggest competitor. When I see what they can print and what's in our warehouse... But we pride ourselves on flexibility, efficiency, and transparency!"
Are you curious to find out how our flexibility, efficiency, and transparency can help you? We would be delighted to discuss this with you!