Australian fruit and vegetable supplier Costa Group is introducing a Click and Collect service for its retail and wholesale customers in Brisbane before rolling out the service nationally.
The horticultural company has signed a deal with AI software provider Complexica which will enable customers to place their orders online. The new Order Management System (OMS) is designed to increase margin and basket size by providing personalised recommendations.
The system will also automate internal market floor operational processes for order management and inventory control.
At a later stage, Complexica’s AI engine will be introduced to bring intelligent product and pricing recommendations to the Click and Collect service.
“After a successful strategy engagement to develop an end-state digital vision and roadmap, and some further software specification work, we have taken an approach of digitisation, followed by automation, followed by optimisation which we expect to enable success and minimise our change management risk,” said Damian Bourne, general manager of Costa Group Farms & Logistics.
Costa is the leading grower, packer and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables in the country with an annual revenue of over $1 billion. It services both retail and wholesale customers in domestic and export markets.
The software provider has been working with Costa to develop its omnichannel strategy since early last year.
“We have taken the approach of first understanding the key elements that will unlock the most business value, and considered not only operational and technical needs but also how customers choose to engage via digital channels, and the opportunities for process improvement that come with digitising the market trading model,” said Murad Mekhtiev, director of Business & Data Analysis at Complexica.
