Christoph-Arne Löffler

We usually associate the term sustainability with measures taken to preserve biodiversity, protect natural habitats and the climate. But sustainability goes much deeper: it means striking a balance between economic growth, environmental protection and social well-being while meeting the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations.

Sustainability therefore sets many goals. A few of them are, for example, fighting poverty and hunger, protecting the land and sea by reducing plastic waste and, related to this, applying sustainable measures from the moment of production. About one third of all food produced worldwide is thrown away or wasted. Much of this is lost during the supply chain and with it, valuable resources such as water, energy, and farmland. To ensure the next goal of protecting the land and sea, it is crucial to combat the amount of plastic waste, both in landfills and in our forests or oceans. If nothing changes, there will be more plastic than fish in the oceans by 2050. To prevent this from happening, the fresh produce industry has already taken countermeasures, such as using reusable nets instead of knotted bags, natural trays when packing corn, or transporting with electric or hydrogen trucks to counteract CO2 emissions.

Achieving the goals of sustainability is not an easy task but all our responsibility. With a special focus on the fresh produce industry, Keelings Knowledge developed an ERP system that makes it possible to operate more sustainably and efficiently. Our extensive production module and efficient warehouse management ensures sustainable purchasing with less waste. In addition, it provides a record of all packaging materials and can include packaging tax as a component in the cost calculation module. Keeling’s Knowledge ERP software is based on a complete solution developed from the industry for the industry. Learn how we can help you achieve your goals.

Join us on this journey.

We know how critical the ability to continuously optimize operations and systems across the value chain is. Operational excellence in the fresh produce industry is about improving the speed and agility of operations. Today, this aim cannot be achieved without the help of the latest technologies.

Perishable products make processes complex and unique, and therefore difficult to keep track of. Studies have shown that 50% of companies believe that their legacy system is no longer powerful enough to keep up with current market demands. Enterprise Resource Planning consists of a multitude of modules that link functional or departmental data and processes in real-time, which improves transparency and coordination throughout the company. As fresh produce specialists, we have developed a proven ERP system tailored specifically to the requirements of the industry that helps companies master increasingly complex and individual processes. We have asked Paul Stynes, ERP Solution Architect for Keelings Knowledge, to show the way to true operational excellence in the fresh produce industry.

Processes in the industry demand more and more precision and accuracy as operational repeatability needs to be improved and variations in the final format reduced. To ensure optimal operations of the entire supply chain, it is of high importance to obtain timely business information. “Traditional paper-based systems simply cannot keep up with the speed and constant change of data in the modern fresh produce supply chain. Critical operational data is all around us. By handling all critical business processes in a central ERP system, we can leverage this data and present it as valuable business intelligence that provides the company with consistent and timely information to make important decisions” Stynes says. Our very own ERP system, which is specifically geared to the fresh produce industry, provides a platform on which the elements of true operational excellence can be built. “The starting point of our ERP is a ready-made configuration for best practices in the fresh produce industry and operational business intelligence tailored to company requirements. From that point, a company can look for ways to improve these processes while being confident that it has met traceability and food safety requirements. This is important because while the industry is focused on reducing costs and maximizing productivity, product quality and regulatory compliance are at the centre of consumer awareness.”

Our ERP is powerful in many rights, it provides the foundation for process control, automation, increased visibility, and scalability, all of which are critical for any fresh produce company on the path to operational excellence. We have updated our solutions this September as part of this journey. Seek contact for more information.

Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, has been one of the single most important technology trends in recent years. It can be used to automate repetitive, error-prone, and time-sensitive business processes. In fact, it is a matter of time and necessity until RPA as an innovative software technology is considered the new standard as 98% of IT leaders say automating business processes is vital to driving business benefits.

Hence, it is no wonder that RPA appears as one of the fastest-growing segments in the business software market. An increasing number of companies seek the prospect of enormous productivity potentials through relatively low investment costs. RPA not only works more precise than humans, but also three to four times as fast. Working 40 hours a week, there is a human available workforce of 1,760 hours per year. As RPA bots are capable of working 24/7, hence 8,760 hours per year, they increase productivity by a factor of 20, only considering working time and speed. Furthermore, they are proven to boost employee and customer satisfaction, efficiency as well as transparency and reduce costs significantly. RPA is also a solution to the ever-growing staff shortage problem.

Through our century-long experience in the fresh produce industry, we have built an RPA system tailored to the industry itself. DAISY (Digital Artificial Intelligence System) can be used in every department, from sales, finance, HR to production. In 2020, Keelings Knowledge provided direct cost savings in excess of €200,000 to our customers and more than twice as much in 2021. We have spent 807 hours developing our RPA solutions, providing a time saving of 5,985 hours for our customers. For every hour of support, we save customers 7.5 hours of valuable time. We enable you to spend your working hours on what you do best. DAISY values your data, is efficient and economical in how it works with it, and treats your data with the desired respect to deliver consistent and measurable results.

DAISY will transform your company and is a choice for more efficiency and results. For instance, use the following functionalities to unlock the full potential of your business:

• • FX rates management
  • Price comparison analysis
  • Reading sales orders into ERP
  • Automated invoicing
  • Bank reconciliations

DAISY is the RPA of the fresh produce industry and will help your team deliver on these opportunities. Be a part of this necessary and steadily growing development. Our solutions help you cope with the demands of the future that are already here. Contact us to see how to get started.

“Data is the new oil”
– Clive Humby

Data is knowledge. Studies show that companies embracing Big Data could boost their operating margins by an incredibly 60%. Opportunities for streaming and complex analytics truly make it the new oil. Once refined into intelligence, data can change the fortunes of your company.

Data grows at a pace beyond every imagination. More than 90% of data ever created was generated in the last two years, every person on average produces 1.7 MB every single second. Data is running the world in an increasingly obscure environment.

In fact, poor data quality can cost 30% of business revenue. At the same time, 95% of businesses cite their inability to manage unstructured data is holding them back.

Don’t be held back but embrace the full potential of your company! Data-driven company are 23 times more likely to acquire new customers. Like oil, data is valuable, but if unrefined it cannot really be used. Contact us today to see how Keelings Knowledge and KBS can help to make sense of your data to gain a competitive edge. We protect your data from the fire.

Being familiar with current technological trends and developments increasingly determines over success and failure in the fresh produce industry. Technology never stands still, and neither does our industry. In 2020, Keelings Knowledge surveyed European companies about which technological areas would have the greatest impact on their business in the foreseeable future.

These companies believed that mobile applications would have a revolutionary impact, and, in fact, mobile technology has emerged as a primary engine of economic growth. Small and medium-sized companies that adopted these advanced technologies are the fastest growing, as they show revenue growth which is twice as fast and add new jobs eight times as quick as the average. There is also evidence of increased efficiency, productivity, and cost reductions.

By combining machine vision with learning capabilities such as AI, robotics are already opening a wide range of new possibilities for businesses. On the one hand, RPA achieves breakthrough levels of speed and productivity while eradicating human error. On the other hand, better decision-making is enabled by AI, as companies achieve 28% higher overall and 31% better financial performance.

Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things will dramatically reinforce the necessity for businesses to invest in technology to remain viable. Keelings Knowledge offers solutions specific to the requirements of the fresh produce industry. Our proven RPA-system DAISY, for instance, already supports fresh produce companies across Europe improves their results reliably. A return of investment within six to twelve months promises enormous productivity potentials through relatively low investment costs. Our mobile solutions can also be tailored to your unique business and requests. They bring efficiency by cutting down on hours of admin work, and, therefore, promise improved results for your entire team.

Our solutions promise to bring efficiency and productivity. Save valuable time, cut down on costs, and unlock the full potential of your business through technology. The impacts of technological advances will affect us all: it is best to be prepared. Contact us for more information.

Family Businesses and a Century of Industry Expertise Bring Certainties

The Keeling family has been active in the fresh produce industry for more than 95 years. Today, Keeling’s, still a pure family-owned business in its third generation, trades fresh produce across Europe in more than 40 countries. As such, the company is inherently aware of the requirements an excellent software in the industry should meet.

We speak the language of the industry and are therefore able to focus on any unique element of individual businesses through almost a decade of experiences of our own. At Keelings Knowledge, this is our starting point to help fresh produce companies to transform their business to achieve superior results and increased profitability. We are committed to building strong and successful partnerships which are tuned to the challenging requirements of the fresh produce industry.

ERP industry excellence for your benefit

This synergy between your company and Keelings Knowledge in combination with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) is a platform on which operational excellence that we seek can be built. Our business solutions can add value in almost every area of our partners’ businesses – from purchasing, sales, logistics, cost control up to management information. Keelings Knowledge has built an innovative, proactive, and steady developing software specifically tailored to companies of the industry. We seek excellence and continuous improvement of our solutions.

As part of a family business, we rely on our family values. Doing business with a family business offers you certainties, we promise what we can deliver, and we do what we promise. To top it all off, our team consists of highly experienced industry and ERP experts who offer a broad skill set and international knowledge of the industry. Through this unique collective expertise, we are able to respond quickly to constantly changing market circumstances and therefore offer continuously improved software.

Helping our clients overcome complex business challenges with our ERP software is what we do best. We have built a business solution for the industry, from the industry. Get in touch today to see how Keelings Knowledge can improve or help your business.