Fresh food tech company Afresh Technologies, Inc. is out with a new solution. The company announced it is now offering an inventory management platform that has been designed for the complexities of fresh food.
Using intelligent and connected technologies, the inventory management tool cuts the time and cost of taking inventory compared to traditional inventory methods while also providing accurate financial information. The platform can be used by multiple associates simultaneously and alerts users of suspected efforts in real time. Beyond the store, corporate teams can also access the information via a web portal to review automatically-generated, store-specific inventory guides and validate ending inventory results.
The new tool, which integrates seamlessly with Afresh’s existing store ordering platform, has been shown to deliver efficiencies at a time when grocers are striving to maximize profits and reduce waste. The company reported that customers using the solution have experienced an average of 31% time savings on their next order after taking ending inventory.
"For grocers today, maintaining inventory accuracy can be even more challenging than predicting demand because of factors like perishability," said Matt Schwartz, CEO and co-founder of Afresh. "Our fresh-first inventory management solution drives unparalleled inventory accuracy in fresh departments with minimal labor. This powers better orders, fresher food, lower shrink, and more effective e-commerce operations."
The system has been deployed by retail customers including Cub, Fresh Thyme and Heinen's. "Because it's so intuitive, our associates didn't fight change, and they recognized the benefits of the shrink and the labor efficiencies. The training time to bring them up and running was unbelievably short," reported Rick Fink, VP of supply chain for the Ohio-based Heinen's.
Based in San Francisco, Afresh was founded in 2017 to improve access to fresh food and reduce food waste. The company currently works with grocers in more than 3,000 stores and 40 states.