The fresh produce industry faces unique challenges that other sectors with non-perishable goods don’t have to contend with, while still dealing with the same cross-industry issues of supply chain disruption and regulatory change.
In response to these growing challenges, Aptean recently announced Fresh Produce ERP, bringing greater integration and intelligence to its industry-specific offering. Aptean has a history in the fresh produce sector, dating back to Produce Pro, the predecessor to Fresh Produce ERP.
For example, a food bank distributor in Indiana implemented Produce Pro to transition from a highly manual system that lacked sufficient inventory insight. Produce Pro enabled the food bank distributor to transition to a paperless system, implement automated billing, FIFO tracking, and real-time order processing. This led to significant increases in sales and customer satisfaction.
Fresh Produce ERP is a cloud-native offering that builds on the legacy of Produce Pro, featuring AI-powered capabilities that provide real-time data analysis, a modernized user interface, and native compatibility with Microsoft 365, thanks to its foundation on the Microsoft Business Central platform. The cloud-based product also aims to be more growth-ready than its predecessor.
The Value of Industry Specialization
Industry-specific ERP systems have proven valuable for many companies. For example, one tropical produce importer has utilized Aptean Process Manufacturing ERP, Ross Edition, which is specifically designed for the unique requirements of food distribution. Over that time, there has been considerable pressure to switch to a more general-purpose ERP.
Of course, there have been upgrades over that time that have allowed the produce importer to adapt to growth, changes in the business, and changes in the industry. Collaborating closely with a partner like Aptean, which has expertise in the fruit distribution industry, helped those upgrades run more smoothly. The enhancements have also opened the possibility of expanding capabilities with emerging technologies, such as AI.
Fresh Produce ERP aims to leverage AI and other emerging technologies in the same way to help companies in the fresh produce distribution industry address the unique and growing challenges they face in transporting fruit and vegetables from farms to pantries.
What This Means for ERP Insiders
- Explore the impact of an industry-specific ERP. Vendors like are Aptean building ERPs on well-known platforms, such as Microsoft, tailored to the unique requirements of specific industries. Companies have found value in these tailored solutions, even staying with them for decades.
- Find technology partners that grow with your organization. Technology is constantly evolving, as are the needs of many businesses. A good technology provider will adapt and transform their offerings to meet the changing needs and demands of their customers.
- Identify how the latest ERP upgrades might impact your operations. The latest ERP systems often aim to address the issues of traditional, manual ERP systems with more automation, better integration, and cleaner data. They also usually incorporate AI, predictive analytics, and other technologies that could bring a positive impact to your organization.
