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Thriving partnership helps Mr Apple grow great apples

When this country’s largest apple grower, packer and exporter wanted to streamline its operations it approached ABC.

Today Mr Apple New Zealand Limited owns 14 orchards across Hawke’s Bay, totalling 900ha and producing more than two million cartons of apples each year.  The company also sources a further million cartons from more than 50 growers around Hawke’s Bay.

The apples are primarily destined for the export market.  However, five years ago it was struggling with inefficient pack house and logistics computer software that was ultimately constraining the company’s growth.  Mr Apple CEO Andrew van Workum, says right from the start they could see the team at ABC was highly experienced, skilled business analysts and software developers.  Since then ABC has delivered systems to allow Mr Apple to effectively manage their fruit from the orchard to the pack houses and cool stores, onto the markets and through to customer invoicing and grower payments.

The systems were designed to ensure data was entered only once.  All parts of the system are fully integrated, giving Mr Apple a holistic and complete view of their business in real time.  The documents and reports published from the system are professional, timely and accurate and this is reflected in the very positive feedback from both growers and customers.

ABC Software continues to help Mr Apple improve productivity.  A recent cool store acquisition meant Mr Apple required a software solution specifically designed to manage the logistics of the cool store operation.

“This project started late in the year and put tremendous pressure on those involved, the implementation and operational results have exceeded expectations and budgeted throughput volumes” says Andrew.

The current season required a new system to help manage Mr Apple’s six hundred overseas returning seasonal workers (RSE).  This system manages the employee’s reimbursement of expenses to Mr Apple plus compliance reporting.  Again. ABC was able to successfully respond to Mr Apple’s needs in the ever-changing marketplace.  “They work with us to find a solution, rather than trying to tell us what we need.” says Andrew.

“The relationship Mr Apple has with ABC is the type of business relationship a company is always looking for"
Andrew van Workum, CEO

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