Largest Grower and Shipper of Organic Produce Speeds Order Fulfillment and FDA Compliance Processes
HighJump Software, a 3M company, the global leader in providing highly adaptable, best-of-breed supply chain execution solutions, today announced that Earthbound Farm, a leading provider of organic produce, has achieved measurable operational improvements since implementing HighJump's solutions at Earthbound Farm facilities in California and Arizona. Earthbound Farm uses HighJump's solutions to manage the complexities of time-sensitive distribution for highly perishable products, such as packaged specialty salads, fruits and vegetables.
With HighJump's warehouse management and supply chain visibility solutions, Earthbound Farm has cut per-order pick time by 10-15 minutes, which amounts to significant efficiencies across all orders processed each day. Faster picking is possible through improved inventory accuracy and optimized work direction. Furthermore, Earthbound Farm reports a three-fold improvement in the speed of product traceback, a key FDA requirement for food providers. The HighJump system supports FDA-required tracking by assigning each product a lot number that can be traced back to the grower. This is required for all food providers to prepare for fast action in the event of a recall.
Earthbound Farm ships to retail grocery chains, wholesalers and food service providers located primarily in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Because the shelf life of Earthbound Farm organic salads ranges from 12 to 17 days, the company relies on HighJump's standard functionality to strictly control expiration timelines through first expired, first out (FEFO) and first in, first out (FIFO) directed picking. The HighJump system applies product availability and shipping constraints based on expiration dates. This information is available to Earthbound Farm's sales team in real time via the Web. This visibility has streamlined the process of determining which products can be sold within their freshness window without involving warehouse personnel for a time-consuming inventory check.
"Earthbound Farm is a fast-growing company in the fast-paced world of perishable produce," said Anneke Leigh, Earthbound Farm's director of IT business applications and development. "Having a scalable, flexible, reliable and cost-effective inventory system is essential for us. HighJump has met our needs in that regard, giving us the ability to track our products from 'field to fork' while helping us load orders faster and ship more each day."
"Earthbound Farm runs a very tight operation with little room for error in the handling of their products," said Chris Heim, president of HighJump Software. "Like others in the food industry, Earthbound Farm strives to ship the freshest possible product to its customers. HighJump's solutions excel at effectively managing this type of requirement due to our depth and breadth of food industry-specific functionality."
About Earthbound Farm
Earthbound Farm was started in 1984 in Carmel Valley, Calif. What began as a two-and-a-half acre backyard garden has become the largest grower and shipper of organic produce in North America. An organic industry pioneer, in 1986 Earthbound Farm was the first company to successfully launch pre-washed salads packaged for retail sale and to popularize specialty salads nationally. Earthbound Farm certified organic produce currently is farmed on more than 24,000 acres and is available in every state and in 74 percent of all supermarkets nationwide.
About HighJump Software, a 3M Company
HighJump Software, a 3M company, is the global leader in providing highly adaptable, best-of-breed supply chain execution solutions that streamline manufacturing and distribution from the point of source through consumption. HighJump's tightly integrated solutions empower operational excellence in the warehouse and optimize the flow of inventory throughout the supply chain by facilitating collaboration with customers, suppliers and trading partners. These comprehensive solutions combine robust, standard functionality; a best practices-based implementation methodology; and a uniquely adaptable architecture that facilitates fast, cost-effective system modifications. The result: the industry's lowest total cost of ownership for more than 700 satisfied customers worldwide. As an independent subsidiary in the 3M family of companies, HighJump leads the SCE software industry in financial strength and delivers on an unmatched commitment to innovation and quality. HighJump leverages these advantages to continually expand its solution footprint and empower operational excellence for domestic and multinational customers. For more information about HighJump, visit www.highjump.com.
About 3M - A Global, Diversified Technology Company
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HighJump Software, Eden PrairieMike Devine, 952-563-5122
