Guides
Running a better packhouse
Practical, no-fluff guides on packout, traceability and the tools that make small and mid-size produce operations run smoother.
What is packout percentage, and how do you calculate it?
Packout % is the share of received fruit that leaves as saleable packed product. Here is the formula, what a good packout looks like, and how to track it per run.
Produce traceability: turning a recall from days into minutes
When a customer calls about a problem lot, how fast can you trace it back to the grower block and forward to every buyer? A practical guide to lot-level traceability for packhouses.
Packhouse software: what small and mid-size packers should look for
Most packhouse software is built for large corporate packers and priced to match. Here is what actually matters if you run a small or mid-size operation.
Lot coding for produce: how to design codes that survive a recall
A lot code is only useful if it is unique, readable and traceable under pressure. Here is a practical scheme for packhouses, and the mistakes that make recalls ambiguous.
How to run a mock recall in your packhouse (and pass it)
Buyers and auditors increasingly ask for evidence of a practiced recall procedure. A step-by-step mock recall drill for small and mid-size packers, with pass criteria.
Cold chain record-keeping for packhouses: what to log and when
Temperature claims are only as good as the records behind them. What to capture at receival, in storage and at dispatch, and how to keep it from becoming a paperwork job.
Five packhouse KPIs worth tracking (and three that waste your time)
Packout, waste, unaccounted loss, throughput and rotation age: the numbers that change decisions in a small or mid-size packhouse, and how to get them without a spreadsheet.