Leiderdorp’s Winkelhof has gained a Toko, and what a Toko! In addition to daily fresh Oriental meals, Toko Winkelhof offers a variety of Oriental ingredients and products. Owners Prins Sandhu and Gumukh Dhaliwal have digitalized their Oriental supermarket as much as possible. That will save a lot of work later. Our voucher from “Make digitization work for you” came in handy.
Everything renewed
The past few months have been hard work to get Toko Winkelhof open on time says Sandhu (38). Just about everything has been renewed in the storefront in the covered Leiderdorp shopping center. A nice fresh Oriental supermarket with a fresh food counter is the result. Fresh rice tables and other Indonesian dishes are on sale every day. There is also a small assortment of Surinamese dishes. And for those who want to cook for themselves, there is an extensive assortment of Japanese, Thai and Indian ingredients displayed beyond the fresh food counter.
Digital shelf cards and order kiosks
Scanning in all these products was an immense task, Sandhu says, “But it pays off, we think, to set it up right from day one.” Sandhu is no layman when it comes to digitization. As an interim manager, he improves ICT processes at government agencies. And his brother-in-law Dhaliwal also has a strong focus on improving processes. So when they decided to open a shop in the Winkelhof, digital shelf cards linked to stock and financial accounting could not be missed. They also chose two ordering kiosks for takeout. “Older people will still like to order at the cash register but the younger generation finds such a kiosk on which they can scroll past all the dishes much nicer.”
Digital linking saves time
The digital linking of inventory, sales, and financial administration is going to save a lot of time, Sandhu expects. “And it will provide us with good analyses quickly. With those insights and the time savings, we think we’ll recoup our investments.”
The two entrepreneurs’ time is precious. In addition to the new toko, they also run a wholesale Seafood business. And as if that were not enough, Dhaliwal is also a dentist and Sandhu an interim manager. “We come from true entrepreneurial families. Hard and a lot of work is part of it for us. Seizing opportunities, improving things. We love that.”
In the coming period, the entrepreneurs will be in the Winkelhof a lot. “We first want to experience for ourselves how everything works, and get all the teething problems out of the system ourselves. Only when everything is running well will we hand over tasks to our staff.” A next digitization step will involve marketing. “You have to be present on socials these days. So who knows, we might apply for a voucher for that in the future.”
Connecting on time
Sandhu happened to see the vouchers from “Make digitization work for you. “Through LinkedIn I think. I applied for one right away because we invest a multiple of the voucher in our IT.” The application was very simple and arranged in no time. “I can recommend it to everyone.”
He thinks it makes sense for the government to encourage SMEs to digitize. “The government is demanding more and more from entrepreneurs in terms of data exchange. So there is a shared responsibility there. I find it logical that entrepreneurs are then helped with that.”
He doubts that digitization is a high priority in SMEs. “When I look at our wholesale customers, I notice that they are not working on it. While it is important that SMEs become future-proof. So I understand the government’s focus on this issue. Entrepreneurs need to connect in time. Otherwise the distance to the modern possibilities becomes too great and you don’t take advantage of the opportunities.”
Take advantage of your opportunities as well
Do you also want to seize the opportunities of digitization? Then explore your opportunities together with our SME coaches. It’s free and will give you many insights. Go to www.digitaliseringwerkt.nl to make an (online) appointment. Would you first like to identify your opportunities yourself? Then fill in the Digi-scan. After 10 to 15 minutes you will know which profile suits your company and which next step you can take. With your personal score in your pocket, we would like to help you on your way with digitization!
Let digitization work for you is a program of Key Region and the participating municipalities of Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude. The program may get a sequel in 2026. Don’t miss that info by signing up for our newsletter or follow us on Linkedin.
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