2025-07-18

Pelaja Buitenhuis

Manual processes are costing Dutch retailers millions: time for smart automation

Dutch retailers are struggling with a hidden cost that undermines their competitiveness: manual processes that cause errors, waste time, and frustrate employees. While 71% of European warehouse managers say automation is essential to reduce errors, recent research by Emerce paints a less optimistic picture of Dutch retail. Over a third of retailers still rely on 31 or more manual processes. That can—and arguably must—change.

The reality of manual work

The numbers don’t lie: 83% of Dutch retailers still perform around ten data processes manually. But it gets worse: 58% have more than 20 manual processes, and no less than 31% operate with 31 or more manual steps. For example, staff may have to manually retype inventory data from one platform to another. The result? Not only a huge loss of time but also a growing risk of errors. Many retailers feel they are falling behind the competition.

The Netherlands is falling behind

While many Dutch retailers are still manually retyping data, their European counterparts have already embraced automation. Research by Zebra Technologies made this clear: 71% of European business decision-makers in warehousing say automation is necessary to reduce errors. And 60% of them cite the need to meet service level agreements as a key driver for investing in automation.

But what’s the main driver of automation? The answer likely comes as no surprise: for 75% of respondents in Europe, it’s to compensate for labor shortages. A problem Dutch retailers know all too well—especially in today’s tight labor market. Yet, many organizations still seem slow to take concrete action.

What’s possible

Fortunately, at Tible we see every day how things can be done differently. Take our collaboration with Kuehne+Nagel and Statiegeld Nederland, where smart automation delivers efficient, reliable processes. With the implementation of our Handheld Terminal App, we fully streamlined the logistics chain within deposit centers.

The result? Operational errors have been minimized, efficiency drastically improved, and employees can now focus on value-added tasks instead of error-prone manual input.

From problem to solution, with measurable results

For Dutch retailers still performing manual processes, Tible offers a proven alternative. Our approach combines mobile technology with smart automation—exactly the vision that European warehouse leaders are acting on.

The benefits are measurable:

• Minimization of input errors by eliminating manual retyping.
• Time savings through automated processes.
• Better compliance with service level agreements.
• Increased employee satisfaction by eliminating repetitive tasks.
• Real-time insight into inventory and processes.

The choice is clear

While 71% of European warehouse managers recognize the need for automation to reduce errors, many Dutch retailers still cling to manual processes that hurt their competitiveness. So the question isn’t *if* you should automate—but *when* you will take the step.