Delicious chocolate … with the help of SAP Business One

Customer
Vandenbulcke ConfiserieTechnology used
APconnect, SAP Business OneAbout our client
Vandenbulcke Confiserie was founded in 1949 by André Vandenbulcke. The third generation is currently working in the business. In the meantime, the company is present in over 40 countries and has sold over 1,000,000 kilos of chocolate.
Vandenbulcke Confiserie and SAP Business One
Vandenbulcke, a renowned Belgian chocolatier with a rich heritage, relies on SAP Business One as its central ERP system to support end-to-end business operations. With tailored integrations and industry-specific functionalities, Vandenbulcke manages everything from production to retail in a fully streamlined and intelligent way, powered by Amista’s expertise.
Results
The 5 Solutions we implemented for Vandenbulcke
1. Precision-Driven Production Management
Vandenbulcke leverages SAP Business One to orchestrate its chocolate production. Using Bill of Materials (BOM), each chocolate product is defined with its required ingredients and recipes. These BOMs drive the entire manufacturing process and ensure production runs are accurately planned and executed.
2. Smarter Inventory Planning with MRP
To keep ingredient stocks in check while avoiding overstocking or shortages, Vandenbulcke uses SAP’s Material Requirements Planning (MRP) module. It automatically generates purchase recommendations based on:
- Sales forecasts
- Seasonal trends
- Historical sales and production data
This ensures the supply chain remains agile and responsive—especially during peak periods like Christmas and Easter.
We opted for the SAP Business One and Amista: because we were convinced of the importance of an international solution with the support of a local partner.
3. Efficient Warehouse Operations with Produmex WMS
Vandenbulcke’s warehouse processes are optimized through Produmex WMS, a certified SAP Business One warehouse management add-on. It manages:
- Picking and stock put-away
- Real-time inventory updates
- Full traceability of raw materials and finished goods
The result is improved warehouse efficiency and reliable product delivery.
4. Fully Automated Invoice Processing with APconnect One
To streamline its purchase-to-pay operations, Vandenbulcke uses APconnect One, an automation solution by Amista. It enables:
- Automatic matching of incoming goods invoices with received items
- Direct posting of approved invoices in SAP
- Configurable approval workflows for different invoice types
This drastically reduces manual work, minimizes errors, and speeds up accounting processes.
5. Seamless Integration of Retail Experience
Beyond production and administration, Vandenbulcke also runs physical retail stores and recently launched a unique “experience tour”. Visitors can explore the chocolate-making process and purchase products on-site. This retail setup is fully integrated into SAP Business One, ensuring:
- Real-time stock and sales synchronization
- Accurate financial booking of in-store transactions
- Unified reporting across all sales channels
The entire retail flow is supported by Amista and tightly connected to the ERP core.
A close collaboration
Amista offers Chocolatier Vandenbulcke a reliable, all-in-one solution to manage their entire business efficiently. Most features work out of the box, so the team was able to get started quickly without heavy customization. It’s great to support our client as a trusted IT advisor in their mission to produce delicious chocolate in an innovative and sustainable way.
Next to that, we are proud to congratulate Vandenbulcke on the opening of their interactive visitor center in Heule. Definitely worth a visit!