WOODRIDGE, ILL./PHOENIX, ARIZ. –Willie Itule Produce has set a high standard of excellence for Arizona produce distributors since the family business opened its warehouse doors in 1979. For nearly four decades, the Itule family’s steadfast commitment to quality has been the hallmark of their business — and the business has grown steadily as a result. Now, with the changing needs of their customers, Willie Itule Produce is applying their commitment to quality with technology solutions in order to scale at the rate of change in the produce industry.
“We realized that to continue to scale our business we needed a serious infrastructure upgrade,” said Billy Itule, Management, Willie Itule Produce.
To achieve this, they turned to Produce Pro Software to evolve their enterprise resource management infrastructure to meet their long-established high standards.
“As a member of Produce Alliance, we heard many Produce Pro success stories from other colleagues, and their experience with the technology and systems strongly influenced our decision to adopt this platform,” said Itule. “After thorough research and assessment, we felt confident that this was the ERP tool needed to grow our business and be as efficient as possible.”
Part of the success story with Willie Itule Produce is the partnership and engagement from the very beginning of the process.
“I’m always amazed at how their team is so engaged and eager to learn about all facets of the system. Willie Itule is a very well-run organization. Their implementation showed that, because from the top-down everyone was bought into the process,” said Marc Hatfield, National Sales Manager, Produce Pro Software.
What the team at Willie Itule Produce discovered during the implementation was that it’s more than just launching a tool, it’s about supporting the people behind it every step of the way.
“Perhaps the most difficult part of transitioning to a new ERP is the cultural change it represented for our team, which came with some reservation,” Itule observed. “However, the training provided by Produce Pro, as well as the on-going support, relieved those concerns. Produce Pro listened well and took our questions seriously as we ramped up to deployment, which made going live significantly easier for everyone at every level.”
Willie Itule Produce has been running the Produce Pro system for eight months. With the ability to view live inventory statistics and, subsequently, report on that data, they are able to uncover areas of opportunity in the business, refine efficiency to improve client experience and capitalize on performance because of the Produce Pro platform.
“Inventory has been a game-changer for us,” Itule noted. “Having such extensive access to data has highlighted areas of opportunity in our business to increase productivity and has helped us identify ways we can grow to meet our clients’ evolving needs.”
With four decades of quality produce, people and service, Willie Itule Produce’s partnership with Produce Pro Software is paving the way for many more years of growth.
“Over the almost 40 years Willie Itule Produce has served Arizona, we’ve had to change to grow and maintain the high standard of excellence,” noted Itule. “When it comes to technology, transitions are always challenging, and the Produce Pro team did everything they could to ensure our success from day one and beyond. We feel confident we chose the industry leader for ERP in partnering with Produce Pro Software.”
About Willie Itule Produce
Founded in 1979 by Willie and Lynn Itule, Willie Itule Produce is a family run produce distributor serving the state of Arizona. Our sole mission is to deliver the freshest and highest quality produce to our valued customers. With experience in every aspect of the produce industry and a unified commitment to quality service, quality produce and quality people, our team works towards the common goal of delivering unparalleled service and the freshest product on the market every day.
To learn more and become part of the Willie Itule Produce family, visit ituleproduce.com.
About Produce Pro Software
Produce Pro Software is an all-in-one ERP software providing innovative business and technology solutions to fresh produce businesses and the perishables industry. Produce Pro supports many of the best run companies providing an end-to-end solution that includes sales order entry, purchasing, manufacturing, inventory management, routing and logistics, accounting, E-commerce, EDI, document imaging, analytics, and warehouse management. Proudly on the cutting edge of traceability, they provide their clients with the tools to meet the demands of their customers.
For more information about Produce Pro Software, please call 630-395-9600 or visit producepro.com.
