In Berlin, “Der Holländer” is an institution. From roses and tomatoes to apple trees: people in the capital love buying their plants from the Seelen family, in the online store or at the two garden centers in Treptow and Westend. The company now has 75 employees, and up to 100 in the spring high season: garden center sales staff who advise customers and care for the plants.
Cashiers. Truck drivers for deliveries all the way to the outskirts of Berlin. Office and cleaning staff, and two chefs. At “Der Holländer,” it’s a tradition for the whole team to have breakfast and lunch together. The team loves it, just as much as the transparent scheduling with Dyflexis. “We don’t know what a staff shortage is,” says Gerben Reurink, branch manager in Westend.
That’s unusual for the industry, so we asked. “We are a real family business,” says Gerben Reurink, who joined “Der Holländer” eleven years ago and even left his home country, the Netherlands, for the job in Berlin. “In the early days, in 1985, the founder’s mother cooked for the team; later, chefs took over.” The sons, who now run the two garden centers, kept the tradition alive.
No surprise to Reurink: “We work hard and have long days. Fresh food keeps us healthy, and eating together strengthens the bond.”
On average, employees have been with the company for eight years, some even for 20. “For people, it’s not just about the salary,” the 36-year-old branch manager stresses. When the team spirit is right, everyone is happier, more motivated and stays longer. “That’s why we take employees’ wishes seriously and try to fulfill them where we can.” One of those wishes? More transparent scheduling.
No more tedious puzzling in Excel
Gerben Reurink was all ears. A trained landscaper with a degree in agricultural science, he is very digitally minded. And the tedious staff scheduling in Excel? It had bothered him for a long time. “Every colleague had to give their availability on slips of paper, and we then typed the data into the computer by hand,” he recalls.
Mistakes were the order of the day. “Sometimes you couldn’t read the handwriting, sometimes we simply made a typo.” The result: an annoying puzzle. “As soon as the schedule was finished and shared via WhatsApp, we could start all over again,” laughs the adopted Berliner. Correcting mistakes, processing sick reports, taking vacation requests into account. “It was incredibly hard to keep track of everything.”
Dyflexis brings overview and transparency
After all, every department in the garden center has to be staffed perfectly, from the tills and the tree nursery to deliveries. Full-time and part-time hours have to be taken into account, as well as the earnings cap for mini-jobbers (€530 a month). With a seven-day week and up to 100 employees in high season, that’s almost impossible to manage on paper. “So I researched online and asked around among friends and acquaintances,” says Reurink, who is also responsible for the IT infrastructure at “Der Holländer”.
A Dutch friend recommended Dyflexis. “Our nursery is very happy with it. Give it a try!” No sooner said than done. Reurink booked a demo and was quickly won over by the clear structure, ease of use and good support. “With Dyflexis, our staff scheduling becomes clear and transparent for everyone involved.”
The garden center team takes to the tool
At first, the branch manager tested the tool with a few employees. The result: thanks to the intuitive interface, everyone quickly found their way. “Some of the older ones were actually faster than the younger ones,” Reurink smiles. Since April 2024, Dyflexis has been rolled out across the whole branch. “All employees, aged 16 to 64, have downloaded the app on their phone. They enter their availability and request leave there,” says the Dutchman. “In return, everyone can see exactly how many hours they have already worked.”
An interesting side effect: almost every employee now has around 1.5 hours more per month on their time account. “Dyflexis records time to the minute, so much more thoroughly than the staff used to do themselves with pen and paper,” says Gerben Reurink. “That created acceptance straight away.”
Happy employees stay longer
Staff scheduling at “Der Holländer” is now much clearer and less prone to errors. “That will save us valuable time in the future,” branch manager Reurink is sure after three months with Dyflexis. More important to him, though, is that good scheduling gives staff more flexibility: “Shifts are easier to swap, and everyone can check the schedule on the go. That adds a lot to team satisfaction.”
And employee satisfaction is a top priority at “Der Holländer”, not least to keep experienced professionals with the company for the long term. “We think the world of our employees, and they seem to think the same of us.” So for Gerben Reurink, it’s settled: after the summer, Dyflexis will be rolled out across the whole company. “We’re already getting curious questions from the team in Treptow about when it’s their turn.” And the software? It scales easily. So perhaps Dyflexis will soon grow with your company too. Feel free to contact us.
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