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eventually, we will be able to see deeper into the supply chain. e technology exists to do it. It’s really the will to do it [that’s needed].”
e need for quality control is increasing, notes Hat eld. Distributors use Produce Pro’s mobile app to inspect product as it is received and shipped. Produce Pro generates quali- ty-control reports that can be sent to vendors or buyers. “Transportation is another chal- lengeforourdistributors,”hesays.“Wehave developed and continue to enhance our driver solution that eliminates paper and provides real-time updates, con rmation of delivery, and tracking of drivers and deliveries.”
No area of the produce industry is exempt from needing software improvements, says iTradeNetwork’s Swart. “Probably every sector of the industry needs an upgrade in some way or another,” he says. Swart cites quality assur- ance and inspection activities once the ordering process is complete. “Even though traceability tools can help track commodities back to their origin and logistics tools can expedite their transport, tracking the quality of produce as it moves through di erent points of the supply chain is also important, especially in light of recent food-safety events,” he says, referring to the late 2018 Romaine lettuce scare.
IMPROVED VISIBILITY
Produce software allows for increased retail transparency. “It comes back to the block chain, which is all about visibility,” says Linkfresh’s Makeham. “What the retail buyers want to make sure of is they’re actually buying what they’re paying for.”
By tracking trends, produce software can help produce executives react more quickly tochangingdemandandsupply.Instantly, software would show retailers they need more large blueberries. e manager could tweak the model and order more. “Technology provides better information and the agility to react,” says Makeham. “ ey [retailers] will be assured of receiving the best product at the right time at the right price for the consumer.”
e produce industry has no problem in embracing new technology, as long as the tech- nology can demonstrate a return on investment, says HarvestMark-Trimble’s Athanassiadis. “Unfortunately, there are still too many technol- ogies and ‘solutions’ that are solutions searching for a problem rather than solutions that solve an existing problem,” he says.
Large retailers are almost all using EDI. Medium retailers are beginning to acquire it, says Famous Software’s Hammack. Areas
the industry needs to concentrate on the most include making the software easily accessible to the users, hence the development of mobile apps supported by both iPhone and Android. “Data analytics is the new driver for business growth,” she says.
Makeham recommends retailers look beyond the shiny packinghouse equipment and deeper into their supply chain. Grow- er-packer-shippersusinge ectiveenterprise resource software would be in stronger posi- tions to meet retailers’ changing requirements, which often change weekly, he says.
e most pressing needs are addressing the smartphone revolution and enabling those technologies, says Silver Creek’s Reminger. Trends include automation, user-friendly appli- cations, data warehouses and “more and more links between suppliers and distributors and between distributors and their customers,” she says. “Everybody wants data faster to respond to the needs of the supply chain.”
As Millennials move into the deci- sion-making pool, the industry is seeing new technology become more of a factor. “ e key is simplicity and functionality,” Reminger says. “If those requirements are met, companies will adapt, and so will the consumer.” pb
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