Tailormade Logistics

The customer

Tailormade Logistics (TML) is a logistics company with around 1,200 employees, from office staff and warehouse workers to drivers. As the name suggests, TML offers tailor-made logistics solutions across four different divisions.

For the automotive industry, TML manages the entire logistics supply chain for customers such as Volvo Trucks, Volvo Cars and DAF, which gives the company an important role in their production process. TML also provides contract logistics and distribution for sectors such as retail, fashion, FMCG, flooring and home & garden, from its own and rented warehouses in Belgium and France. Finally, its transport division handles full loads and LTL shipments for a range of industries in the Benelux, France, Italy and Spain.

What sets TML apart is the combination of transport and logistics under one roof. With multiple sites, a strategic base in Ghent and its own fleet of around 500 trucks and 1,000 trailers, TML can offer customers a complete solution. The real strength, according to Kelly De Dijcker, Co-CEO, lies in the combination of people and technology.

"Anyone can buy a truck or open a warehouse. In logistics, it's the people and the IT that make the difference."
– Kelly De Dijcker, Co-CEO Tailormade Logistics

The case

TML's IT landscape is at least as diverse as its services. For contract logistics, the company uses a Warehouse Management System (WMS), while transport and distribution are supported by a Transport Management System (TMS) and an in-house developed software package.

The WMS and TMS are standard software packages, but not everything fits neatly into an off-the-shelf solution. Two key areas called for custom development.

On the one hand, there were the EDI integrations TML uses to exchange data with its customers' systems. These integrations usually arise from specific customer needs. However, the existing solution ran on an outdated platform, with an expensive licence and an old server. Not a future-proof foundation for a company that wants to connect more and more customers digitally.

On the other hand, there was the cross-dock flow, in which goods arriving at the warehouse are transferred and shipped out again almost immediately, without long-term storage. That process sits where the WMS and TMS meet and used to run on a scanner tool that only recorded data, without steering or controlling the flow. That made it hard to track goods flows accurately.

TML was therefore looking for a partner to build both applications from scratch and to keep developing them as the organisation grows. After all, every new customer brings new integrations, processes and challenges.

Our approach

The development team led by Kristof Pipers is responsible for developing and maintaining TML's in-house software system. The team consists of Euricom developers Pieter, Toon and Jeroen, together with developer Andreas and analyst Veronique from TML. In addition, Euricom consultant Lise supports the business analysis team with the analysis for the TMS implementation.

To explain how the software works, Kristof likes to compare TML to a human body.

The planners are the brain: they decide what needs to happen. To make the right decisions, they need all the relevant information, which flows in through the backbone. Once the planning is set, the right hand takes over and the work gets done on the floor.

That digital backbone and right hand? They are Nexus and Thimble, two applications the Euricom team develops for TML.

Nexus: the digital backbone

All customer information flows through Nexus to the planners. Think of orders, invoicing data, warehouse processes, the location and weight of parcels, and even photos of goods.

The team migrated the existing EDI integrations step by step from the outdated platform to Nexus. Today, new customers are connected directly to the new platform.

Thimble: the right hand on the warehouse floor

Thimble is TML's own cross-docking application and supports day-to-day warehouse operations: from scanning and unloading goods to moving and reloading pallets.

Is a pallet not where it should be? Thimble immediately alerts the planners, so they can adjust quickly.

After developing a first version, the team is now working on Thimble 2.

"In fact, the backbone and the right hand of all of TML live in our software. And with around 30,000 messages a day, that backbone is a real gem in terms of performance."
– Kristof Pipers, Euricom

Besides Nexus and Thimble, the team also builds and maintains the integrations with other business systems, including the TMS, the WMS, and the invoicing and batch systems. For example, planners can now see directly in the TMS which employees are on leave and therefore cannot be scheduled.

Technically, the applications are built with .NET, Vue and Azure, backed by SQL databases. The team relies heavily on an event-driven architecture with Azure Service Bus, so processes across the different systems are synchronised within about five seconds.

The result

The migration to Nexus is complete. An important milestone, as the previous platform was increasingly reaching its limits. The Euricom team gradually migrated all functionalities to the cloud, without disrupting day-to-day operations.

Today, almost all of TML's EDI traffic runs through Nexus. The expensive licence and the old server are now a thing of the past. The result? A faster, more stable and cost-efficient platform, ready for future growth.

The impact is also noticeable in daily operations:

• 30,000 messages per day are processed smoothly, with systems synchronised within seconds.
• New customers can be onboarded faster, with integrations tailored to their systems.
• The cross-docking flow is now actively steered and controlled through Thimble, instead of merely being recorded. That means better visibility and faster responses to issues.
• Thimble 2 is actively being developed, with the remaining components of Thimble 1 gradually being migrated to the new version.

But the added value goes beyond technology. The Euricom team has developed an in-depth understanding of TML's systems, architecture and data. And that translates into a strong, close-knit collaboration. Gilles Plaetinck, Practice Manager at Euricom, plays an important part in that too. He actively thinks along with TML, even when that isn't a given. That is how a client relationship grows into a true partnership. "For me, a partnership is about give and take," says Kelly.

And the story continues. TML aims to further strengthen its digital foundations, and Euricom is proud to continue building alongside them.