Good packaging is half the battle

Kobout has been an importer of fasteners since 1979. In these 45 years, the company has grown into a highly automated logistics center with over 60,000 locations of fasteners. Still, the company maintains its focus on personal contact with customers, and in this Kobout goes far. For example, the 'blue box' is now a household name among fitters and installers as packaging that literally offers added value. And are there any special wishes? Then that is simply arranged.

Fasteners including bolts, nuts and washers are not higher math. Produced in accordance with DIN and ISO standards and regularly checked for quality, little can go wrong with the product. Nevertheless, Kobout makes a difference for its customers through, among other things, special packaging.

The blue box

At first glance, the blue boxes as packaging for fasteners seem nothing special. However, those who look further and listen to director Joost Kunst's enthusiastic story quickly realize that these are not just any boxes. Kunst: "First of all, they are made of thick, sturdy cardboard. So dropping them once is not a problem and does not lead to loss of material as they splash open. In addition, the lid is designed as a flap that is easy to open and close. Materials are easy to take out."

The label has also been thought about. A drawing of the product, the number of pieces in the box and the dimensions are clearly legible. A simple color coding makes it immediately clear which material or product is involved: green for stainless steel A2 and 4.6, red for stainless steel A4 and 8.8, blue for 10.9 and yellow for 12.9. This coding can also be found elsewhere in the company; for example, on the threaded rods that Kobout cuts to size for its customers. 

Ordering via barcodes

"We have a total of 12 different sizes of boxes," Kunst knows. "That means we never 'air pack,' but can always use the optimal size. Last but not least, the boxes have a barcode that our customers can scan with the Kobout ordering app that allows them to immediately place a new order. We can also attach the barcodes to the customer's warehouse shelves. If the box is then already gone, ordering remains simple."

In addition to the blue cardboard boxes, Kobout also put together 120 different assortment boxes where different products are housed in ten or twelve compartments. The see-through plastic boxes are robustly made, have a luxurious appearance and are a sought-after item among mechanics.

Personal attention

Automate where it can, without sacrificing personal interaction. Art: "We have quite a few customers with whom we have been doing business for thirty or forty years. And no: they no longer order by phone or fax. That is indeed done through our online webshop, scan app, two-bin service or by mail. If it's about new products or technical questions, they call us. From multinationals to smaller SME customers: everyone is equally important to us."

Warehouse

That human touch is also evident during a tour of the largely automated warehouse. Nothing is left to chance, so that at the end of the journey every customer gets the right order. Many additional services are standardized in the warehouse software. Countdown, customer project or item number on the packaging, packing per project and kitting are standard solutions. Art: "Actually, our warehouse is a Swiss army knife, lots of possibilities embedded in one solid solution." 

So much is standard, but sometimes a customer asks for just a little more. Seaworthy packaging or a proverbial gold ribbon: nothing is too crazy. A matter of a check mark by the salesperson and noting the special wish is enough for the close-knit warehouse team to deliver what is requested. "In the end, it remains human work" Kunst knows. "By employees who seemingly automatically give their best because we are simply all proud of our company and our customers."