Dewulf has been building root harvesting equipment for over 70 years and has been represented in Ireland by Quaile Machinery of Skerries, Co. Dublin, for the last two years.
The manufacturer has recently launched a new service by which customers can build a virtual model of their ideal machine and then have it immedietly priced by the dealer.
The first machine to be selected for online configuration is the Enduro four-row harvester which attracted particular attention when the company trialled the new system earlier this year.
By using this online configurator the customer can get to know, not only the harvester, but also the whole Dewulf product range.
Phased introduction
It is planned that as new machines are added, the selection options can be explained in a simple manner, thus easing the decision-making process when it comes to the configuration of a machine for specific conditions.
Dewulf claims that another bonus is that the machine is continuously visualised, with it being possible to select and remove certain options. Through this feature the customer can gain a good idea of what their machine will look like.
Each different configuration can be stored with a unique code so that the local dealer can issue an individual quote for each version at a push of a button.
The roll-out of the system has been split into two phases. The first covers the harvesting machinery, which will be followed by the second phase, focusing on cultivation equipment.
Dewulf production hits 1,600 machines a year
Dewulf is based in the Netherlands and was formed by Robert Dewulf in 1946 who started producing ploughs in his father’s barn.
Since then, the company has established two more factories, one in Belgium and the other Romania. It now produces 1,600 machines a year with a 360-strong workforce, generating a turnover of €80 million.
The Miedema company, which specialises in potato transport and storage, was acquired in 2014, allowing Dewulf to offer a full range of machinery to the potato grower.