Zespri’s new cloud platform accelerates claims processing by 60% with SAP integration

Zespri has launched a cloud-based claims platform built on SAP technologies, significantly speeding up claims resolution and setting a new industry standard for customer service in the fresh produce sector.

Zespri has rolled out a cloud‑based customer claims platform built on SAP technologies, a move the company says has dramatically accelerated processing and brought greater consistency to decisions across its major markets. According to the report by CFOTECH, the ki...

wifruit marketer, which handles more than 40,000 quality claims a year valued at over NZD $70 million (about 1% of sales), moved from a largely manual workflow to a centralised claims portal and self‑service submission model. “By combining intelligent automation with human expertise, we’ve built a platform that reinforces our brand promise and sets a new industry standard for service,” said Rahul Badge, Head of In‑Market Supply Chain, Zespri, and Adrian Griffin, Managing Director, SAP New Zealand, commented: “Zespri has set a new benchmark for customer‑centric innovation in the fresh produce industry.” The CFOTECH piece also quoted project partners and Zespri staff on rapid adoption and the platform’s customer impact.

Independent coverage confirms the platform’s scale and performance claims. Fruitnet and FreshPlaza report that eligible claims can be resolved in seconds, multi‑delivery claims created in under 30 seconds, and more than 1,000 deliveries processed in under two minutes, reflecting the centralised SAP Commerce Cloud front end and integrated real‑time supply‑chain data from SAP S/4HANA.

Zespri describes the operating model as “human‑in‑the‑loop”, with around 80% of claims now receiving automated recommendations alongside human review; the company says this reduces processing times and errors while preserving auditability and freeing assessors to focus on complex cases. Reseller.nz highlighted the same balance, noting the platform is intended to deliver fast, consistent outcomes without compromising quality control.

SAP and Zespri materials place the programme in a wider digital transformation. According to SAP collateral, the Commerce Cloud integration has automated certain claim validations, helping cut fraudulent and erroneous claims and standardise approvals globally; SAP states the initiative has expedited claims processing by around 60%. Zespri’s earlier SAP S/4HANA work is reported to have delivered measurable infrastructure and productivity savings, with company figures cited for avoided infrastructure costs, hours saved and P&L benefits as it moves into the next phase of its multi‑year Horizon transformation programme.

The technical stack combines SAP Commerce Cloud as the customer interface, SAP Business Technology Platform as an orchestration layer applying business rules, and SAP Fiori apps giving assessors end‑to‑end visibility of supply‑chain and inspection data. CFOTECH and ChannelLife report that integration with partner products removed repetitive data entry and reduced human error, while Accenture New Zealand and FAIR Consulting Group are credited with delivering the platform across Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, India, the United States and Europe.

Project partners emphasised business‑centric design and rapid adoption. “We set out to make things simpler for everyone. The new system is easy to use and gets claims sorted more quickly, which is good news for both customers and Zespri’s teams,” said Pete Devereux, Accenture Business Architecture Manager, in comments published by CFOTECH, and Christiaan Du Plessis, SAP & Cloud Director, FAIR Consulting Group, said the partner teams were “excited to keep building from here.”

Zespri has signalled further ambitions to layer predictive analytics and computer vision on top of the claims platform to reduce defects before they occur and to strengthen traceability, linking those capabilities to its stated goals on quality, sustainability and customer experience. Industry observers note that such steps reflect a broader push in fresh produce supply chains to balance faster, customer‑centric service with traceability and quality control requirements.

While Zespri and SAP quantify efficiency gains and operational savings, the account remains company‑led; independent verification of long‑term impacts on customer satisfaction, claim‑fraud reduction and supply‑chain resilience will be visible only after sustained operation and external measurement. For now, Zespri presents the platform as a foundational element of its digital strategy and a stepping stone toward predictive, preventive quality management across its global network.

Source: Noah Wire Services