We were approached by a client in the fresh produce industry who was concerned with their current storage system, as they felt they were losing more inventory to decay than necessary, with inaccurate product weights.
The Problem:
The client used wooden bulk boxes. The main drawbacks for this is that the weight of the empty box is 25% more when damp, so issues arose with accurate weighing of produce. The produce, being sensitive to moisture, caused fruit to ripen too quickly. With height varying from one supplier to another, there were piling up issues. Their stack-load was limited to 7 on 1 unit load, max 300 kgs, with a durability of only 2 to 3 years, and maintenance required.
The Solution:
We worked with the client to implement a new packaging system using plastic containers which are fully stable weight, no matter the environmental conditions. They also have an expected lifetime of 10 years with very small breakage rate. This made the investment highly profitable.
The Benefits:
- Better Storage Space – 11 on 1 full boxes piling up
- No fungus on plastic boxes, preventing fruits from decay
- Automated floating emptying and sorting system. No water retention in Big boxes.
- When needed, empty boxes can be stored outside, freeing up storage space as needed.
Outcome:
There were more than 30,000 units sold and a forecast of an extra 9000 units for 2013, from increased capacity and less waste from decay.