More reliable order picking through recent improvements for Royal FloraHolland

Recently, there have been disruptions in the Royal FloraHolland IT system that controls the order picking process. Two of these incidents had a significant impact on buyers. The organisation fully recognises that this caused considerable inconvenience and frustration, particularly during a busy trading period, which is regarded as especially unfortunate. In recent weeks, the organisation has focused entirely on identifying the causes and implementing both short- and long-term improvements to prevent recurrence.

In collaboration with its software partner, both disruptions were thoroughly analysed and immediate action was taken. It was determined that there was instability in the IT system supporting the order picking process. To identify the source of this instability, additional logging was introduced for monitoring purposes. However, this extra logging resulted in peak system load, which caused two major disruptions between 20 February and 4 March. Once this cause was identified, the additional monitoring was promptly removed, and measures were implemented to ensure both short-term stability and a more robust long-term infrastructure.

Server separation
An important step towards a more robust infrastructure was taken last week with the separation of the server running the databases for the order picking system. Previously, a single server supported all Royal FloraHolland hubs, meaning any failure affected all locations. Dedicated servers have now been established: one for Rijnsburg and Naaldwijk, and another for Aalsmeer. This change enables better load distribution, improved stability during peak times, and a future-proof foundation for further growth. Server capacity has also been expanded to better manage peak loads. These measures have been successfully implemented and are already contributing to faster order picking and a more stable service.

Intensive monitoring
In addition to these measures, system load and data processing are now subject to intensified monitoring. During this peak period, a standby team is present on the floor daily. Colleagues and the IT partner are also present each morning during system start-up to ensure immediate intervention if required.

Ready for the future
Stability and reliability remain top priorities, not only during this busy trading period but also with a view to future expansion of order picking activities at the Aalsmeer hub. Targeted measures have been implemented to strengthen system robustness and prevent recurrence, even as volumes increase. Thanks to the improvements made and the now stable IT foundation, there is strong confidence in scaling up order picking operations in Aalsmeer in the coming period.