Field notes
What we learn on the shop floor.
Stories, setbacks and patterns from our projects. Sharp observations from the shop floor, minus the thought-leadership waffle.
Building AI automations: what you get out of it, and when you don't
AI automations sound simple, but the trap is in how they fit your existing systems and processes. Here is what you get out of them, and when it's wiser not to start.
Build an AI layer or replace the lot: when do you choose which?
Plenty of companies face the same choice: invest in a new core system, or build an AI layer on top of what already works? The answer depends on where the real problem sits.
Redeveloping software: when does it really pay off?
Redeveloping sounds appealing when a system seizes up, but it is rarely the quickest route. When is it the right call, and when is it not?
Driver shortage, flex law and rising costs: the logistics squeeze of 2026 calls for better data
Logistics takes three hits at once in 2026: a persistent staff shortage, new flex legislation and rising transport costs. Anyone who wants to keep their operations running can no longer do it on spreadsheets and manual keying.
AI Workers: what they actually do, and when you shouldn't start
AI Workers automate the recurring groundwork in your operation, from reading data to setting off actions. But there are situations where they're simply the wrong choice.
Truck road charge from 1 July: the bill shifts onto your data
From 1 July 2026 you pay per kilometre driven instead of a fixed truck tax. The operational question is not the rate, but whether your trip and order data is clean enough to pass on, reclaim and steer by.
Automating order intake in transport: where to begin
Orders arrive as email, PDF and Excel and get retyped into the TMS. Why order intake is almost always the first, most measurable automation.
Automating quotes in wholesale: from days to minutes
A slow quote is a lost order. How AI that knows your catalogue, price tiers and terms speeds up the commercial process, and why master data is the first hurdle.
Processing packing lists in food and AGF: why templates never quite cope
Every supplier has its own packing-list layout, and during the season the stacks pile up. Why template-based OCR comes unstuck here and document AI holds up.
Predictive maintenance starts at your historian, not at a data platform
The data for smarter maintenance has been sitting there for years. Why you do not need a data-platform project to begin, and where the first returns come from.
Why AI in the Port of Rotterdam is different from anywhere else
The port is no greenfield. Three lessons we've learned about AI between the quays, cranes and customs.
Operating partner vs. consultancy firm: what is the difference?
Why we do not hand over a report but stand beside you in the operation. And when that is precisely the wrong fit.
AI around Stratech, Softpak and Stream without replacing the declaration engine
How we leave your existing customs software in place and build an AI layer around it that makes planners' work 10x faster.
Estimating in construction: the margin lives in the detail
A case study of how one AI flow over your quotes returns 9.2 percentage points of extra margin. No magic, just discipline.