Welcome to Blue Book!
Are you ready to join the thousands of companies who rely on Blue Book to drive smarter decisions? View our plans and get started today!
Still have questions? We’d love to show you what Blue Book can do for you. Drop us a line– we’ve been waiting for you.

Trade with confidence... every time.
Blue Book’s real-time alerts help you stay up to speed with everything in the produce industry

Trade with confidence... every time.
Blue Book’s real-time alerts help you stay up to speed with everything in the produce industry

Trade with confidence... every time.
Blue Book’s real-time alerts help you stay up to speed with everything in the produce industry
Top 10 Blunders #1 – Operating in Silos
Far too many organizations operate on a functional basis. Transportation, inventory management, and order fulfillment activities are housed in different departments and managed independently of each other. Decisions...
Far too many organizations operate on a functional basis.
Transportation, inventory management, and order fulfillment activities are housed in different departments and managed independently of each other.
Decisions are based on what is best for the function, forecasts are made independently, and metrics target functional optimization. This leads to conflicting strategies, executing to different plans, and poor coordination of processes. Ultimately, product flows are impeded, and suboptimal performance is achieved.
To set the stage for cross-chain collaboration, produce companies must break down these internal silos. The individual functions must be organized under the guidance of a single supply chain leader and the focus must shift toward process excellence.
Under this configuration, a single forecast or plan can be developed to drive integrated planning and decision making. Logical tradeoffs can be made between functions to ensure overall performance is optimized.
A collective focus on delivering value will emerge where cost efficiency and effective service priorities are balanced.
This is an excerpt from the most recent Produce Blueprints quarterly journal. Click here to read the full article.
Dr. Brian Gibson is executive director of Auburn University’s Center for Supply Chain Innovation and a former logistics manager. He is coauthor of Supply Chain Management: A Logistics Perspective (10th ed.) and active in supply chain executive education, research, and consulting.

News you need.
Join Blue Book today!
Get access to all the news and analysis you need to make the right decision --- delivered to your inbox.
What to read next
Bagged avocado sales surge in Q4 2024
Hass Avocado Board: Bagged avocados played a key role in boosting retail sales of Hass avocados during the 2024 holiday season.
Tomato prices falling as supplies increase
Markon Cooperative reports that tomato supplies are increasing as new crop production is underway in Culiacan, Mexico.
Procurant releases tariff charge management for retail buyers
Procurant announced a new capability for managing tariff-related charges within its Procurant Commerce platform.
The Wonderful Company honored on Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For List
The Wonderful Company has again been named one of Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, moving up from last year.
Rabobank report analyzes tariff effects on vegetable market
Rabobank released an April 1, 2025, report, U.S. vegetable trade amid tariff and trade tensions authored by David Magaña.
Ocean Mist Farms starts spring artichoke season
Ocean Mist Farms, North America's leading grower and shipper of fresh artichokes, has officially kicked off their spring season.
Subscribe to our newsletter
© 2025 Blue Book Services. All Rights Reserved