Case Study: Leen Bakker improves route planning efficiency with Descartes

Descartes’ Route Optimization Solution Improves Customer Satisfaction and Increases Planning and Administrative Efficiency

Leen Bakker, one of the largest home decoration retailers in the Benelux, needed a better way to manage the daily supply of 180 stores. With 70 to 120 routes planned each day across its own fleet and charter carriers, transport planning had become too complex to handle manually. Descartes’ route optimization solution was introduced to simplify planning and improve operational efficiency.

Descartes implemented a route optimization system that generates recommended store routes, accounts for constraints such as road closures, and supports pre-billing for charter companies. As a result, Leen Bakker gained greater visibility into route changes, reduced administrative effort, standardized invoicing processes, and improved customer satisfaction by offering and meeting preferred delivery windows. The company also said the solution likely saved it from needing an additional planner.

Leen Bakker

Ewald Vogel

Transport Manager