How produce wholesalers can see where wastage really happens

Every fresh produce business loses some stock. Fruit bruises. Leafy greens wilt. A pallet waits one day too long. The problem is not that loss happens. The problem is that most businesses cannot say where it happens, so they cannot fix it.

Why wastage is hard to see

In many businesses, wastage is found only at stocktake. By then, the number is just one total. You cannot tell if the loss came from a supplier, from the cool room, from picking, or from customer returns.

Record loss at each step

The fix is simple in idea: record loss at every step where stock is touched.

• Receiving. When stock arrives, record anything damaged or below quality. Link it to the supplier and the delivery.
• Storage. When staff throw out stock from the cool room, record the product, the amount and the reason.
• Picking and packing. Record items replaced during picking.
• Returns and credits. Record customer returns with a reason.

Compare suppliers with real data

When loss at receiving is linked to each supplier, you can compare suppliers on quality, not just price. A cheaper supplier with more damaged stock may cost you more in the end.

Use loss data in your prices

If a product always loses a part of its weight before sale, your price should cover that. When wastage data sits next to your price list, this becomes an easy check, not a guess.

Start small

You do not need to change everything at once. Start with receiving, because it is where supplier problems show first. Add the other steps one by one.

Booster, our operations software for fresh produce, records wastage from receiving to sale and links it to suppliers and pricing. You can learn more at booster.net.au.