Jun 14, 2005 9:19 AM, from staff and wire reports

HighJump Software, a 3M company, announced that Earthbound Farm, a provider of organic produce, has achieved measurable operational improvements since implementing HighJump systems at facilities in California and Arizona. Earthbound uses HighJump systems to manage time-sensitive distribution for perishable products such as packaged specialty salads, fruits, and vegetables.

Earthbound has cut per-order pick time by 10-15 minutes. Faster picking is possible through improved inventory accuracy and optimized work direction. Furthermore, Earthbound reports a threefold improvement in the speed of product traceback. The HighJump system supports FDA-required tracking by assigning each product a lot number that can be traced back to the grower.

Because the shelf life of Earthbound organic salads ranges from 12 to 17 days, the company relies on HighJump to control expiration timelines through first expired, first out (FEFO) and first in, first out (FIFO) directed picking. The HighJump system applies product availability and shipping constraints based on expiration dates. This information is available to Earthbound’s sales team in real time via the web. This streamlines the process of determining which products can be sold within their freshness window without involving warehouse personnel for an inventory check.