GreenCommerce ensures gains in capacity for Timerfruit

Rotterdam, April 7, 2020
Timerfruit is an import and export specialist of overseas fruit. Timerfruit controls the entire process from cultivation to the consumer, where quality, continuity, flexibility and cost control are central points. In December 2002 Tim Reincke and Eric Brückner founded the company 'Timerfruit'. They focused on a number of specific products, such as grapes, melons, citrus fruit, stone fruit and apples.

Choice for GreenCommerce
The method was the basis of the choice for GreenCommerce, the flexibility of jem-id fits well with the mentality of Timerfruit. Timerfruit was looking for a software package in which they could properly process their import activities, with the option of communicating digitally with other companies. Below we highlight a number of functionalities that are (or have become) essential for Timerfruit.

Importers package provides a picture of expected deliveries and container handling
The logistical flows of imports have many factors that can turn a planning upside down. Timerfruit uses the importers package of GreenCommerce. The importers package provides importers, such as Timerfruit, with a complete picture of expected deliveries and the associated container handling. From the software package, they can monitor and control the entire administrative and logistics process. This process is mapped from the moment of shipment to the unloading of a sea container, enabling rapid switching between the various parties. The functionality assists through a conflict screen where, based on classified sales checks, scheduled transports and / or repacking orders, problems can be identified immediately and action can be taken.

Exchange of logistics messages (interconnection with FreshBabel Messenger)
Because Timerfruit has an external warehouse, it is important to have close contact with anyone that handles logistical processes. In the past, communication often took place by email or by telephone. To provide solutions for these time-consuming and error-prone processes around order entry and data processing on both sides, Timerfruit started using FreshBabel Messenger. FreshBabel offers a platform where different systems can communicate with each other, without the underlying systems having to be adapted in order to send and receive messages. Timerfruit and Karsten Suiderland Logistics (KSL) have further professionalised the cooperation by digitally connecting each other's systems. KSL works with an external Warehouse Management System. FreshBabel's logistical interconnection is between GreenCommerce and the external WMS, and takes care of the translation of the messages to and from the relevant software systems. In this way, both parties are able to fully automatically exchange data about logistical processes such as inbound, production and outbound, which has resulted in a major efficiency boost.

Eric Bruckner and Tim Reincke of Timerfruit talk about an efficiency improvement since working with FreshBabel Messenger: “We no longer have to manually type important data in the system. An additional advantage is that fewer mistakes are made as a result."

Digital administration
GreenCommerce offers an connection towards Twinfield and Blue10. Everything is now digitally processed at Timerfruit. All invoices are sent via PDF files to the correct email address. In addition, many companies are busy with a year cut-off for months, while at Timerfruit this is much faster because they, in collaboration with the accountant and jem-id, have developed a customized functionality, which, with the data from GreenCommerce, presents all annual data in seconds.

"We hear that we are very well organized in terms of certifications and in the administrative field. These are benchmarks for us to see that we are in the competition. We receive positive feedback from audits." said Eric Brückner.

Future Proof development

Timerfruit would like to do more with a data warehouse and a BI application in the future, so that they can see the results of suppliers / customers and make estimates of the sales. It would also be ideal if they could discover trends from the past, and monthly reports can be replaced, which are now mainly done through all kinds of spreadsheets.

jem-id offers a Datawarehouse package that can meet this demand in combination with the BI application “Power BI”. As a result, the role of the management team can become even more guiding. It will be decided at a later time whether Timerfruit will use this package.

"We have specialists like GreenCommerce around us that make us feel very comfortable, so that no matter what happens in the coming years, we can always find an answer."

Timerfruit is most proud of the good reputation they have and are therefore constantly developing: 'The race for quality has no finish line'.