Farm Trans & Sustainability: Interview with Arthuur Weeterings – IT Manager

When Arthuur Weeterings demonstrates what Farm Trans’ new IT department has achieved in just a few months, customers are positively surprised. After fifteen years of external management, it was time to assume control internally. Soon, everyone inside and outside Farm Trans will experience the benefits of this transformation.

Where do you start when asked to set up an IT department?

“Our goal is to unburden our customers with excellent IT systems. So I began by organising the basics and optimising these systems, particularly focusing on security. We can only support our customers effectively when cyber security, availability, and performance are up to standard. In a very short timeframe, we initiated various optimisation projects. Most have already been completed, and the remaining ones will follow soon. Additionally, we reviewed our overall governance. How do we run projects, and how do we handle data collection, storage, and deletion? Our data and our partners’ data are crucial to our ambition of becoming a chain director. That’s why creating a secure, future-proof IT environment is essential.”

How do colleagues benefit from your expertise?

“To work efficiently, we need a flexible and scalable Transport Management System (TMS). This is what sets us apart, so we focus heavily on it. I worked with teams from Fresh & Frozen and Bulk to identify and address issues in the supply chain. In various joint sessions, we tackled and resolved all pain points. Building on this foundation, we will continue to optimise the system over the coming years. This will facilitate operational growth and give us greater control over planning and execution. Additionally, we will enhance our service levels and expand integration possibilities. By fully leveraging our systems, we can move into the future with readiness and capability.”

How do you incorporate sustainability into IT?

“Sustainability permeates all facets of IT. We review our data sources and eliminate any inaccuracies or redundancies. For example, sometimes our database will have thousands of entries for a single postcode. Furthermore, we aim to prevent waste in the supply chain by implementing a robust system. This involves designing our IT landscape to avoid disruptions and risks. We are on the brink of contributing to CO2 reduction with our IT strategy. By spring 2025, we expect to make significant progress and engage our customers in our sustainable growth journey.”

What are your ambitions?

“I know exactly where we need to focus as an organisation in terms of IT. We have created a stable environment that will serve us well until at least the end of 2025. In the meantime, we are working on our future plans and ensuring the support of our 4PL activities. Naturally, we will provide strong IT support for all these initiatives.”