Ever wondered how business software could streamline operations for a Fresh Shed? Before chatting with Sally from Columbia Basin Onion I didn’t understand how Fresh Sheds fit into the food supply chain. Thanks, Sally, for educating me on industry terminology! Here’s how eFood-ERP for Fresh Sheds is helping them automate and streamline their operations.
Columbia Basin Onion (CBO) is a brand new onion packing shed in Hermiston, Oregon. Keep an eye out, buyers: they’re launching next month! Before they started their business they knew they would need business software. CBO was looking for ERP for Fresh Sheds that would give them a competitive advantage by helping them manage their financials, inventory control, day-to-day operations, PTI tracking (traceability) by lot and pallet, sales and . The software needed to support their entire operation and provide up-to-the-minute (real-time) information.
The Fresh Shed operation:
The CBO Fresh Shed receives reds, white, yellow onions, as well as red and yellow organic onions from their own fields as well as other onion growers. They receive the onions in bulk, weigh in at the scale, log the gross weight, sort and pack the onions into multiple sized totes and storage bins, then into multiple sized consumer packages. The pallets are tagged and entered into inventory. Then, the pallet is moved to the inventory floor and is ready to ship.
Sales needs an up-to-the-minute "Sales Board" with all items including all different package size and organic/conventional options only listing items with available weight for sale. Sales Orders are entered, and a sales confirmation is sent to the customer. Orders typically are shipped or picked up the same day.
Trucks check in for shipping and loaders print pick tickets on the dock. Each pallet has a unique tag for traceability which stays with the pallet. Duplicate pallet tags are pulled off the pallets, scanned, matched to the order, and a bill of lading is printed. The bill of lading is sent to the customer, triggering invoicing which is automatically tied to that grower’s contract using Grower Accounting functionality.
Phew! Get some sleep and let’s do it again tomorrow. It really makes me appreciate the lovely red, white, and sweet yellow onions I love to keep in my pantry!
Fresh Shed operations are a perfect example of an industry that can benefit from an ERP solution to automate and streamline operations, giving real-time information to a fast moving, dynamic operation with changes day-to-day and hour-by-hour.
Find out more about how and other food processors helps them keep up with the minute-by-minute changes in their operations.
by eSoftware Professionals,
