The problem: suboptimal cold chain performance
Cold chain management has emerged in recent years as a vital success factor in the post-harvest life of fresh flowers. Temperature exposure during storage and transportation contributes to discolouring, wilting, poor flower opening, premature ageing and botrytis. The end result is reduced vase life, often by several days. Not only does this lead to rejects, decreased product value and customer dissatisfaction, it also frequently results in costly claims – particularly as even quality loss incurred at retail outlets can be traced back to inefficacies in the cold chain.
Under-performance is the rule rather than the exception
Everyone who works with fresh flowers knows they need to be kept cool. And everyone tries to ensure that. The reality, however, is that very few supply chains succeed in keeping flowers under consistently optimal conditions all the way from farm to florist: there is always a cold chain break somewhere along the line. Unfortunately, even the slightest, or briefest, temperature exposure at any point in the chain can have a disastrous effect on overall quality and consistency. Cold management sounds simple, but in the global fresh flower business, underperforming supply chains are the rule rather than the exception.
The solution: an unfailing failure tracking method...
Now for the good news. At FlowerWatch, they've developed a dependable method for tracking down temperature exposure points throughout the entire chain. With numerous leading, international customers in our portfolio, we’re experienced in using this method to perfection, tracing even the minutest flaws in the supply chain – and mapping in detail their effects on your business.
...and a QA system that fixes the failures permanently
That’s not all. On top of our unique, market-leading assessment services, they’ve also developed a failure-proof Quality Assurance system. "We will not just identify the challenges in the cold chain – we’ll help permanently fix them at surprisingly low costs."
How it works – and what’s in it for you
Temperature exposure & degree hours
The central concept in their approach is time temperature exposure, which they express in degree hours. This is the average temperature of the fresh flowers throughout transport multiplied by the number of hours (1 degree hour = 1 hour x 1°C). Every 500 degree hours reduce vase life by 1 day. The key to successful cold chain performance is to minimise the number of degree hours. The industry benchmark suggests that vase life loss in the supply chain should never exceed 1 day. Many supply chains fail to reach this target. Here they give an example:
We will calculate your performance and identify every cause of under-performance
"With our method, we can help calculate the temperature exposure and identify the causes. Following that, we will outline the most cost-effective measures for fixing the key problems. Our experience shows that most problems can be solved with relatively simple and inexpensive measures (such as optimised stacking and box positioning in cold storage). With our protocols and Quality Assurance system in place, the supply chain will be more competitive than ever. Permanently."
Benchmarking and improvement guarantees
In support of their services, they’ve performed extensive global studies on acceptable levels and feasible improvements. Their conclusion is that: "given free rein, we can help you reduce temperature exposure in your supply chain to as little as 300 degree hours – no matter how high it is today (check Our Promise below)."
The results are easy to spell out:
• Consistent high quality
• Minimal reject percentages
• Longer vase life (guaranteeable)
• Strong & lasting business relationships
• Improved competitiveness
• Better margins
• Maximum profitability
So here’s our guarantee for your business
They’re so excited about their method and its potential results for the growers, customers, business and the branch as a whole that they’d like to offer a solid guarantee. Here it is: "if you and your partners allow us to assess your cold chain performance and if you then implement the improvement measures we recommend, FlowerWatch promises you that the number of degree hours in your chain will drop to levels between 500 and 300 – or a vase life extension of at least 1 to 2 days. As we said before: our focus is not just on superb flowers, but on permanently happy customers and consistently maximised profitability."
World Floral Expo
FlowerWatch will be present at the World Floral Expo in Los Angeles, USA, which will be held from March 9-11, 2016. They can be found at booth 530.
For more information
FlowerWatch
Email: [email protected]
www.flowerwatch.com
Source: World Floral Expo 2016 Newsletter
