CUSTOMER CASE · LOGISTICS AND WAREHOUSES
Samsonite Europe: from Excel to calm on the work floor
The European distribution centre in Oudenaarde schedules 180 employees, three shifts and around two hundred students a year. Until September 2024 in Excel, today automatically with SOLUTIO.
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Source: Value Chain Management, October-November 2025
employees in
three shifts
internal warehouses
and external sites
containers a day,
on average
students
a year
months of decision
until go-live
Why was Excel no longer sustainable?
Scheduling was done entirely by hand. That led to a lot of ad-hoc communication between team leaders, HR and temp agencies.
Team leaders did not always know at the start of a shift who would turn up, and students and temps reported to reception without knowing where to go. That caused frustration and lost time.
“People used to queue in the morning to ask where they had to work. Now they see it straight away.”
Nick Van Eetvelde, warehouse manager Samsonite Europe
How does Samsonite schedule with SOLUTIO today?
Automated scheduling that takes absences, skills, availability and rotation preferences into account.
Skill-based scheduling
Every employee, temporary workers included, gets a digital profile with skills and certificates at onboarding.
Automatic rotation
Based on preset preferences and rotation plans, so people stay versatile.
Leave per capacity group
At most a third absent at the same time, evenly spread across functions.
Linked to time registration
Real-time view of who has clocked in; requests to temp agencies go straight through SOLUTIO.
A screen on the floor
At the start of the shift, everyone sees right away where and for which task they are scheduled.
What are the results?
No more double-booked employees or unstaffed departments
Fewer errors, fewer emails and fewer meetings
Team leaders focus on their people and on quality, not on admin
A clear view every day of who does what
“We digitalise with a purpose. Not because we have to, but because it helps us work better, more accurately and more efficiently.”
Nick Van Eetvelde, warehouse manager Samsonite Europe
What lessons does Samsonite share with other logistics companies?
Start with a clear vision
Away from Excel, towards transparency and automation.
Choose a partner who listens
A solid base that already works, with room for tailoring to your needs.
Have a strong key user
Someone who bridges operations and IT.
Read the full case
How the implementation went and what Samsonite plans next, from AI-driven staffing forecasts to maintenance registration.