Platform for the metalworking industry
Better inventory visibility and more efficient purchasing
Hoffmann Group specialists on the floor at JOOP.

Better inventory visibility and more efficient purchasing

In the modern manufacturing industry, efficiency determines competitiveness. Joop van Zanten therefore chose the flexible GARANT Tool24 article issuing system from Hoffmann Group to optimize its own work processes. By now, the Veenendaal-based company has four systems in use to its full satisfaction, says Purchasing & Projects team leader Johnathan Jacobus. "Tool24 gives us more insight into inventory and consumption and helps us reduce costs."

Founded in 1966 and traditionally a steel cutter, in the 21st century Joop van Zanten has grown into a versatile total supplier, supplying complete components with all machining in them under the fittingly powerful new brand name 'JOOP'. In addition to oxyfuel, laser and plasma cutting of high-strength sheet metal in particular, post-processing of cut steel products also belongs to the specialties. This includes press brakes, welding of assemblies and machining of assemblies. Due to the increasing range of services and a shrinking workforce in the sector, in recent years the company has increasingly focused on knowledge management and automation. Part of this includes more efficient handling of consumables such as tools, Johnathan explains.

Time wasted searching for articles

In the past, according to the buyer, there was not always a good understanding of available stock on the shop floor. "Stock you need, but you don't want to worry about it yourself. Machines need to run as often as possible and employees need to be able to find tools quickly. Previously, we had items scattered across different cabinets, so it took a lot of time to search for them. Consumption was also still tracked manually. As a result, there were sometimes too many or too few of certain items in stock, which led to last-minute panic orders." For Johnathan, it prompted a search for a more efficient way of working. "At the TechniShow in the Jaarbeurs, I came in contact with Hoffmann Group, where I immediately noticed the professionalism and the wide product range. Then the feeling quickly arose that this company could suit us. After good conversations and a demonstration of GARANT Tool24, I knew: this is the article dispensing system we need."

Instant access to needed items

To ensure a smooth transition to Tool24, work planner Martijn van Zanten was assigned to set up the modular system for users. Martijn: "First I put the articles neatly sorted by diameter in the drawer cabinet, but human behavior is always the biggest enemy of a neat cabinet layout. In practice, users don't always put items back in the same place. Fortunately, this is not a problem with this system, as Tool24 keeps track of every item exactly where it is. This makes everything quickly retrievable for users. To make searching for articles even easier, I created goods groups and tool sets of articles in the system's software. From a GARANT drill bit to a spare screw, for any job, employees can find and pull out the set they need in an instant. This saves us an incredible amount of time every day."

Detailed insight into consumption and costs

After the successful commissioning of the first system in 2019, more quickly followed in the following years. JOOP van Zanten now has 4 main units (main cabinets with computer) in use, which are connected and flexibly expandable with multiple side units including drawer, carousel, locker and vertical cabinets. Says Johnathan, "We currently have main units with cabinets in the measuring rooms, the cutting department, the clean room, and a unit dedicated to general consumables and PPE. Each system has a configuration tailored to the needs of the particular department. In addition to multiple drawer systems, we also have a Tool24 locker cabinet. In this, each item is behind its own door instead of in a drawer with other items. This makes the locker cabinet ideally suited for large or valuable products. Thanks to removal with an RFID tag, we can assign users rights to open or not open certain doors. We can also see exactly which user has taken what. This gives us detailed insight into consumption and thus the cost of items."

Reorder new stock automatically

Very nice about the Tool24 article dispensing system is also the link to Hoffman Group's eShop, Martijn adds to his colleague. In this online customer portal, tools and other items can be ordered easily and fully automatically via a main unit. "With a Tool24 you always know what your needs are. As soon as an item falls below the preset limit, it is automatically reordered in time via the eShop. In the past, we sometimes ordered too little, causing work processes to stagnate. Or, on the other hand, too many, causing procurement costs to rise. Tool24 gives us more insight into consumption. We discovered, for example, that we use very little of certain tools. Good to know, because then it won't be ordered. It also means we hardly have to place any last-minute orders anymore. Do we still have a rush order once? Then Hoffmann Group delivers within 24 hours on average."

Flexible in daily use

The Tool24 article dispensing system not only interfaces with Hoffmann Group's eShop, but also with JOOP's internal ERP system. In addition, the cabinets are also suitable for tools from other brands, notes Johnathan. "All this makes Tool24 very flexible for our use. The link with the eShop is an advantage, but there are other pluses compared to the other dispensing cabinets we have. For example, Tool24 is equipped with a modern touch screen, on which you can see images of items at a glance. Also, the cabinets were engineered by Hoffmann Group itself, with excellent quality, service and support provided. When setting up and using them, we therefore received a lot of advice from Hoffmann Group's specialists. This has helped us to get the most out of the system." Martijn: "You soon notice whether a party reads a sales brochure to you or actually wants to support you. With Hoffmann Group, it's clearly the latter."   

Versatile collaboration
In addition to article dispensing systems and tools, JOOP also cooperates with Hoffmann Group in other areas. Examples include business equipment, grinding service, presetting equipment and (winter) clothing.

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