Frutas Alhambra Almería successfully went live with GreenCommerce in the middle of the season

At the beginning of June, the Almería location of Frutas Alhambra (a subsidiary of QPI) went live with GreenCommerce. This time, the implementation involved the packing facility in southeastern Spain. While Robin and Emiel would normally travel to Spain for such projects, this implementation was approached differently. In this interview, they explain how the implementation progressed and why it differed from previous projects.

“At the end of April, we had an intensive trip with the team in Almería, Spain. This was in preparation for the implementation in June. The goal was for the local team to manage the implementation themselves while we provided support remotely,” begins Emiel van Straalen.

This approach differed from previous implementations at Frutas Alhambra locations. The local team took ownership of the implementation, while Emiel and Robin took on a coaching role from a distance. Robin continues: “During our last trip, we discussed every aspect of the new way of working with the local team. The right questions were asked, and there was mutual confidence in the approach. Because of the language barrier, it was beneficial that the local team could explain the new processes to the rest of the staff in Spanish. They understand the culture and know how to communicate effectively with their colleagues.”

This way of implementing was an adjustment. Emiel explains: “Normally, we are used to taking the lead ourselves. This time, we were more on the sidelines. Thanks to eight months of thorough preparation, including many calls and detailed planning, the implementation was very successful. We were able to provide guidance remotely where needed, but the majority of the work was handled by the Spanish team on site.”

At the moment, the team in Almería is still running parallel operations. The current season is winding down and will start up again in November or December. That will be the real moment of truth. “That is when volumes will increase and we will see whether all the preparations have been sufficient. But we have every confidence in it. Based on the positive experience of this implementation, we will likely approach other locations in the same way. With this team in Spain and the close cooperation with QPI, we are confident of a successful outcome,” Robin concludes.