PickWise Questions Answered

PickWise has been developed and maintained by Supply Chain Systems (SCS), a subsidiary of ADAS. We are now at the end of the third season and this year saw almost 300 handsets used in 75 businesses. PickWise was designed for soft-fruit growers and although we are now sserving other sectors of horticulture, soft fruit remains our core market. We have had considerable interest from many parts of the world and are already moving into California. The potential of overseas markets will help SCS to invest in significant development ersource for PickWise and other products to follow.

1. As a soft fruit grower and potential new user, what are the key benefits of PickWise?
Pickwise was designed around the needs of soft fruit growers. It is flexible enough to cope with many different harvesting systems, payment systems and recording of non harvest work. Data capture, using barcodes, is very quick, freeing supervisors to monitor quality. Traceability is an integral part of PickWise and is linked to payment - the barcode that is scanned to record work for a picker also provides traceability.

2. Is PickWise mainly, as it's name suggest a harvesting tool?
Growers invest in PickWise to handle recording of labour. Harvesting is generally the most labour intensive operation, however all work can be recorded. Most PickWise users are recording gang work such as planting and weeding usign the handset or directly onto the PC. Some growers have dispensed with timesheets and all staff enter their work onto the handset. PickWise can also be used to record packhouse labour and productivity.

3. What has happened to the next version of PickWise?
Ouor desire to be super-flexible and incorporate over 100 enhancements, led to an even larger than anticipated development programme. We were not able to make these changes and put them through the necessary comprehensive and rigorous testing program, needed to get this in everyone's hands, as soon as we had hoped. The new version is available now and there will be a few further enhancements for the 2004 season.

4. What additional features and benefits will PickWise have in 2004?
some ofo the key enhancements are: PickWise will allow jobs to be day work/piece work combination of piecework plus incentive as well as straight piece or day work. The day work/piece work combination is used throughout the Californian soft fruit industry and can offer considerabe savings over straight piecework.

We haev incorporated the ability to set different pay rates for individuals of groups of workers. This function will allow overtime to be built in. PickWise will also incorporate holiday pay calculations. There is a global deductions facility that will save considerable time. Calculating worker pay has become increasingly complex and PickWise can produce accurate pay reports quickly as well as providing export links to a number of pay-roll packages.

The reporting suite has been enhanced. The "My Reports" feature will allow you to access the reports you regularly use, in the form you use them. You will also be able to enter budget figures for yield and harvest costs and a new report will show actual vs. budget.

There are many smaller enhancements and the aim has been to make PickWise more flexible whilst still being easy to use for operators who are not fammiliar with computers.

5. How do I find out more about PickWise?
To arrange an on site demonstration or to receive a demonstration CD contact Keri Yates on 01902 693 204 or pickwisescswise.co.uk

Autumn 2003