Managing fresh produce imports involves much more than knowing where a container is. Importers usually receive packing lists, phytosanitary certificates, and other documents via email or WhatsApp because they need to know at all times what goods are in transit and when they will arrive. Trackberry, a cloud-based software platform developed specifically for fresh produce importers, was created to address this challenge.

© Trackberry

The idea arose from conversations between its creator, software developer Edouard Brière, and a friend who is the director of the British importer Beta Best Produce. “Importing fruit involves documents sent via email, WhatsApp, and other channels, including packing lists and phytosanitary certificates. It’s a headache. There was no system to automate all of this,” explains Brière.

Advances in artificial intelligence have opened up new possibilities. “Before AI became as widespread as it is now, a computer couldn’t understand these documents. Now we can read, extract, and collate all the information in one place. Trackberry uses this capability to automate the reading of documentation and centralize the data for each import,” he said.

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The platform combines this documentary information with container tracking. The system provides hourly updates, using Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to pinpoint ships’ actual positions and identify vessel changes or potential delays.

This gives the importer a kind of ‘virtual stock’ while the goods are still in transit. “You can directly adjust how you’re going to sell the products, almost as if you had a ‘virtual stock’ of it because it’s at sea.” Knowing more precisely when goods will arrive and what they contain can facilitate commercial decision-making.

© TrackberryPlease click to enlarge

Trackberry also saves time. It can automatically extract information from a packing list, even if it is written in another language, and enter it directly into the importer’s ERP system. “There are people who continue to manually enter the packing list into their ERP system; this system automates the process,” Brière said. The goal is not necessarily to replace the person doing this task, but to help them work faster and process more transactions.

Import company managers value efficiency and tools that save time by bringing information together in one place to support decision-making, he added.

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The system is already being used by importers in the UK and the Netherlands, and Brière plans to expand its rollout to more European import companies. Trackberry is also working with an Asian company that imports durian, pitahaya, and other exotic products, and can interpret packing lists in Chinese. The platform can be adapted to different products and modes of transport, including air freight.

Brière will attend the Fruit Attraction international trade fair in Madrid (October 6–8) to showcase Trackberry to importers and is already in discussions with several companies in the sector.

© TrackberryFor more information:
Edouard Brière
Trackberry
Tel: +34 651 44 00 47
Email: [email protected]
trackberry.com/