Heartland Produce Elevates Warehouse Efficiency With Produce Pro Software from Aptean

Heartland Produce strives to be the preferred full-line produce wholesaler for retailers across Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana. As order volumes grew, the company’s management team recognized that manual processes for picking, checking and loading were no longer sustainable. It needed a system that would provide real-time visibility, reduce errors and improve overall efficiency.

Today, Produce Pro Software from Aptean sits at the core of operations inside the company’s 80,000-square-foot facility, supporting more accurate, efficient warehouse execution.

Learn how Heartland Produce tackled the rising operational demands with fresh produce-specific software.

The Challenge

Heartland managed an average of 300 paper tickets daily, which made tracking and updating orders cumbersome. Its labor-intensive processes introduced risks such as lost paperwork, frequent mis-picks and incorrect truck loading. Lot changes required selectors to return to the dispatch desk and checking orders involved tedious manual verification of lot numbers. These inefficiencies increased costs and impacted accuracy.

Key challenges included:

• Managing picking by paper, which was time-consuming and error-prone.

• Frequent overages, shortages and mis-picks.

• Difficulty tracking order changes during pulling.

• Lacking real-time visibility into picker activity and product location.

The Solution

In November 2009, Heartland extended its use of Produce Pro ERP by implementing our warehouse management system (WMS). This allows the company to leverage barcode scanning and Motorola handheld computers to automate outbound operations. The system introduced electronic task management, eliminating the need for paper tickets and reducing manual intervention.

Key capabilities include:

• Automated work assignments for individual pickers or teams.

• Real-time communication between pickers and supervisors via handheld devices.

• Dynamic handling of lot changes and quality issues without disrupting workflow.

• Barcode tagging for finished pallets and double-checking against truck trailers to prevent mis-loads.

• Blocking of pallets that were unchecked or incomplete, ensuring compliance with loading protocols.

The Results

Heartland achieved significant operational improvements after implementing WMS:

• 86% decrease in mis-picks.

• 44% reduction in short ships.

• Automatic tracking and reporting of picker productivity.

Supervisors gained full visibility into task progress and product location, enabling better workflow management. The system allows less experienced employees to take on new tasks confidently, reducing training time and errors.

Ready to Optimize Your Warehouse Operations?

Aptean Fresh Produce ERP, the next generation of Produce Pro Software, provides produce growers, packers and distributors with the tools they need to improve warehouse accuracy, streamline outbound processes and gain real-time operational visibility. Aptean Fresh Produce ERP combines decades of trusted industry experience with modern artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools that support daily decisions and sustained operational performance. With built-in warehouse management capabilities designed for high-volume produce environments, teams can reduce errors, improve productivity and maintain control as operations scale.

Learn how Aptean Fresh Produce ERP can support your warehouse operations or schedule your personalized demo today.

About

Industry: Produce Wholesaler Product: Fresh Produce Headquarters: Kenosha, Wisconsin