Ripening App brings innovation to the ripening process at Ripe Fresh Packing

With years of experience, the subsidiary of Europe Retail Packing (ERP) has now also adopted the GreenCommerce software package. Ripe Fresh Packing (RFP), a joint venture between ERP and ABC Logistics, specializes in ripening and sorting fruits for its customers. In early 2024, RFP began using the Ripening App, integrated with GreenCommerce, to digitize ripening processes.

Ripe Fresh Packing: The complete service package
The ripening experts at RFP ensure that fruits such as mangoes and avocados reach the perfect ripeness stage, directly safeguarding the quality of the product during both the ripening and packaging processes.

RFP has storage and transshipment facilities, ripening rooms, and two state-of-the-art Aweta sorting lines. Due to the company's growth, it became necessary to start recording the statuses of ripening stages. This need led to the implementation of the Ripening App, integrated with GreenCommerce, at the beginning of this year. Luco Overvoorde, Manager of Supply Chain & IT, explains: "Previously, ripening was managed by a single ripening expert who kept all the information in his head. As our team grew, this became a vulnerable situation. To share and store information, we needed a digital solution. Together with jem-id, we explored the possibilities, and the Ripening App proved to be a perfect fit for our needs."

Ripening App for tracking and recording ripening actions
The Ripening App is now used daily by multiple ripening experts. Through the app, a ripening expert on the floor can assign various ripening properties to one or more pallets. Afterward, a new ripening action can be created, specifying how long the pallets should ripen and what ripening characteristics are expected at the end of the period. Luco explains, "With the Ripening App, we can better manage production and keep account managers and customers informed about the status of a product. Information is immediately accessible to every party involved, significantly reducing the risk of errors."

Grouping in inventory for ripening properties
Ripening properties are defined through groupings in the inventory, which can then be linked to customer specifications. This provides insight into how much inventory is actively being ripened and what the desired ripening properties are. Additionally, they can match inventory to the needs of the (end) customer based on these ripening properties. Order pickers receive instructions that include the additional ripening properties, ensuring they select the correct pallets.

The entire process went smoothly from start to finish. Luco concludes, "In addition to regular meetings with jem-id, we met once a week with the project team dedicated to this implementation. This ensured that the team's needs were well aligned with the solution, making a swift two-month implementation achievable."