The Dutch IT service provider Supply Chain Company continues to expand. It opened an office in Spain earlier this year, and an office in the United Kingdom last month. The growth is a result of the rising demand for planning solutions among manufacturers and retailers.

In the fast-moving consumer goods sector, the demand for advanced supply chain and retail planning solutions continues to grow. “In the post-Covid era, manufacturers and retailers are still looking for ways to cope with an increasing number of supply chain disruptions and erratic demand patterns. They need to optimize their supply chain planning processes to be flexible and resilient. Effective IT support is indispensable. We have the expertise to implement the necessary software and optimize the associated processes,” says CEO Henk Jan Rijkse when asked about the reasons behind the company’s growth.

For instance, Supply Chain Company is an important implementation partner of Relex Solutions, a Finnish supplier of supply chain planning solutions. Relex recently expanded its product portfolio by acquiring software vendor Optimity. Supply Chain Company has extensive knowledge and experience of implementing both software solutions. Rijkse: “In addition, our sister company Chainresult has a strong track record in the business implementations domain, including in the food and agri sectors. We have easy access to that knowledge and experience at Supply Chain Company, which puts us in a good position to serve our customers even more effectively.”

International expansion

Supply Chain Company, which was founded in 2017, has approximately 50 employees working at its offices in the Netherlands, Denmark and New Zealand. “In order to keep pace with Relex’s growth, we recently opened offices in Spain and the United Kingdom too,” says Rijkse. “The UK is an important market for us and we already have a large number of client projects there. Having our own team in the market itself will enable us to provide even better customer service.”

The office in Spain, which is led by Sander Mullink, will play a central role in the software delivery for all the company’s current and future offices worldwide. It was a strategic decision to base the office in Malaga, according to Mullink: “Malaga is a growing hub for IT services. The city has a good supply of highly skilled IT professionals, thanks to its respected academic and technical education institutions, such as the renowned IT university Universidad de Málaga. Many of our technical and configuration activities will be performed in Malaga. In addition, Malaga is our hub for projects on the Iberian Peninsula.”

The offices in the Netherlands, Denmark, New Zealand and the UK all play an essential role in supporting customers’ success. “We want to combine our solid expertise with a closeness to our clients. We intend to open an office in Germany later this year, and we are also investigating the possibilities for the United States,” says Rijkse.

Capital injection

To facilitate its growth ambitions, Supply Chain Company – together with sister company Chainresult – received a capital injection from investment firm Holland Capital last year. “Technology is playing an increasingly important role in the demand for sustainable business operations in agrifood and consumer packaged goods. The unique characteristics of these markets require a specialized approach. Supply Chain Company and Chainresult understand the desires, processes and complexities, and together they are well equipped to support further digitalization in these value chains,” comments Hubert Verbeek, Managing Partner of Holland Capital.