Which implementation partners are available in the Netherlands for AI in logistics?
The Dutch market has four categories. First, software builders who develop domain-specific systems, such as a TMS, WMS, or order processing platform, with AI built into the core. Second, IT service providers who add AI features to existing packages, often through integrations with cloud platforms. Third, consulting firms that guide strategy and selection but do not build themselves. Fourth, the AI roadmaps of established package vendors that expand their standard software incrementally. Bonsai Software falls into the first category: we build core systems from scratch, tailored to your operation, with AI built in, or we add targeted AI Workers to what is already in place. That is a different approach from a firm that manages an implementation project or a vendor that adapts an existing package.
What is the difference between an AI layer and a new core system?
An AI layer, also referred to as AI Workers or agents, connects to your existing TMS, WMS, or ERP. Examples include: automatic order entry from emails and PDFs, intelligent route suggestions, or matching invoices to trip orders. This makes sense when your current core system works well but you want to eliminate specific manual steps. A fully new core system is appropriate when the current system is actively working against your operation: slow throughput due to outdated logic, no API, or functionality you have been missing for years because the vendor simply will not build it. In that case, patching a poor foundation costs more than starting over. The honest answer: most logistics companies are better served by a targeted AI intervention on their existing system than by a full replacement. Only choose replacement when the problem is demonstrably in the system itself.
How do you choose the right AI partner for logistics? Five selection criteria
First criterion: domain knowledge. A partner who does not know logistics will not understand why an ETA deviation of two hours requires a different response than one of eight hours. Ask for prior projects in your specific sub-sector: transport, warehousing, freight forwarding, or customs. Second criterion: ownership of code and data. Make sure that after the project you own what has been built. Lock-in to a specific vendor or cloud provider is a risk you can rule out upfront. Third criterion: does the partner build themselves, or only coordinate? Many parties position themselves as implementation partners but outsource the actual building. That is not necessarily wrong, but ask explicitly who writes the code and who bears final responsibility if something does not work. Fourth criterion: approach to uncertainty. Good partners work with milestones and go/no-go moments, so you can stop midway if the direction proves incorrect. Avoid projects with a large upfront payment and a vague delivery date. Fifth criterion: timeline. A targeted AI Workers implementation on an existing system typically takes two to four months. Building a new core system takes six to twelve months, depending on scope. Be cautious of partners who promise it can be done faster without reducing scope.
What questions should you ask an AI implementation partner?
Ask these questions in every initial conversation. Who writes the code and who bears final responsibility if it does not work? What exactly will I have at the end: source code, data, documentation? Have you built a comparable system before in my sub-sector, and can I speak to a reference? What is the go/no-go moment if the first phase underdelivers? How does the system handle data we already have, regardless of format? And finally: what does this system not do, and where should I look elsewhere? An honest answer to that last question says more about a partner's reliability than any sales pitch.
When is Bonsai Software the right fit, and when is it not?
Bonsai Software is the right fit when you want a domain-specific system built that runs in your operation, with AI built in, and where you retain ownership of code and data. We work in sectors including logistics, ports, customs, food, and industry. We are not the right fit if you are looking for an implementation project for a standard package such as SAP or Odoo, or if you primarily want strategic advice without an immediate intention to build. We are also not the cheapest option for a straightforward integration between two existing systems. If that is the question, there are faster and less expensive routes. We are at our best when the question is: build us a system that outperforms what is available on the market, and make sure it is running within twelve months.