The scent of milk lingers in the many hallways and workspaces of the QLIP laboratories in Zutphen. That\u2019s not surprising, since milk (from cows and goats) is the lifeblood of this company. QLIP, with locations in Zutphen and Leusden, is Europe\u2019s largest milk and dairy laboratory. It\u2019s pronounced \u2018Kjoelip\u2019\u2014which rhymes with \u2018tulip\u2019\u2014to emphasize that it\u2019s a quintessentially Dutch company. The acronym also stands for something. Director Jan Bobbink explains: the \u201cq\u201d stands for quality, the \u201cl\u201d for laboratory, the \u201ci\u201d for inspection, and the \u201cp\u201d for process certification. This immediately sums up the core activities of this fast-growing company. \u201cThe Dutch dairy sector has an excellent international reputation. As a private company, QLIP plays an essential role in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nAlistar is a partner that can adapt quickly and deliver customized solutions integrated with the standard Exact software suite.<\/p>\nJan Bonnink<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
The White Motorcycle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
According to Bobbink, the expansion is being driven by favorable developments in the Dutch agri-food cluster. But it is also driven by automation and robotization, which have been extensively implemented at his company. At QLIP, milk is the driving force, but the company also runs on information; it is a true data factory. A large portion of the analysis results used to be entered manually, but are now automatically imported, scanned, validated, authorized, and sent back to customers. This is more efficient, faster, less prone to errors, and increases profitability, says Head of IT Hans van Hemert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOn the one hand, we analyze and inspect to ensure that no unsafe substances end up in the dairy products\u2014substances you definitely don\u2019t want in your food. Think of added melamine, which led to a major food scandal in China in 2008. On the other hand, we verify whether the contents actually match what\u2019s listed on the packaging,\u201d Bobbink explains during a tour in Zutphen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n