The reality of the sector: Deciding “on the fly”
In most fresh produce pack-houses, planning is conspicuously absent. It is a harsh reality: as an order finishes on a line, the next one is decided.
Many have tried for years without success. In fact, we have come across companies that have been launching planning projects for 20 years that never come to fruition. They have even developed in-house solutions that don’t quite work.
The learning process: Beyond industrial software
When we received the call from our first client in this sector, we naively thought it would be easy to improve their situation. They warned us: “It is much more complex than you imagine.” And they were right.
We quickly understood that standard industrial experience and conventional planning software do not work for the very specific needs of fresh produce. After months of learning, questions, and adjustments, we understood the real problems we had to solve and found the right solutions.
The transformation: From chaos to control
We are not the only ones who have found the solution, but we do know what works. After working with pack-houses of all sizes — having started in a facility with 40 packing lines — the result is consistent: a radical change in management.
What really changes in the day-to-day? Although the pressure of last-minute orders and customer changes persists, the way of facing them is different:
- Better decisions with less effort: The team no longer decides blindly.
- Strategic visibility: Real capacity to accept new orders with confidence.
- Commercial synchronization: It is now possible to indicate to the sales team which products to prioritize to take advantage of available sizes and qualities.
- Virtuous cycle of productivity: Real-time control detects improvement opportunities that were previously invisible.
Conclusion
Achieving satisfied teams and production flowing with visibility is not a myth; it is a matter of methodology and the right tools.
Do you want to know more about what we have learned along the way?
