Before Spectre, our ranch managers would weigh about ten apples every day or every other day leading up to harvest. The sample would end up being about 30 or 50 apples in total, and probably not that on most occasions. In the end, getting that information all the way back to the sales team was almost not worth it because of the time it took and because nobody really trusted the sizing sample.

The apples would be sized when we did QC samples and determined the maturity of the fruit. However, the sizing was more to get a general idea, like, is the fruit big this year? With Spectre, we've been able to get that information to sales instantly and give them a very accurate picture of the fruit that's coming off the trees and is going to be packed soon.

Relying on field samples that are far smaller than what we get with Spectre, or even the word of the farmer, who thinks his fruit is a little bit bigger or smaller this year, was not ideal. Spectre has removed that blind spot we had at the beginning of the season.

At Washington Fruit, we utilize Spectre in our orchard's loading areas to obtain size and color information about the fruit. Typically, every day that we are picking, we use Spectre to sample ten bins from each block. In total, we sample about 100 apples per bin with Spectre, which means we sample about 1,000 apples per block each day.

The data provided by Spectre is particularly useful at the start of the packing season when we lack historical data on the fruit. With Spectre, we quickly find out the size distribution of the block. The information Spectre provides is then shared with our sales department so they can get to work selling the fruit before we’ve even packed it.

Spectre offers many benefits that have been significant for our company. Firstly, it is incredibly fast and efficient to use. For example, sampling ten bins with Spectre only takes two minutes tops, and we receive the data instantly.

Another advantage is that Spectre is very easy to incorporate and follow through on without requiring any significant changes to our routine. For instance, as part of my routine, I visit different farms and growers, where I walk around the loading areas to check the quality of the fruit. Now I can do all that, while also snapping a picture with Spectre to get an instant size and color profile.

We are also very impressed by Spectre’s accuracy. In the three years we have been using Spectre, we have not experienced any significant inaccuracies and have only become more and more impressed.

The sales team also benefits from Spectre’s fast and accurate information, as it allows for faster sales, while also ensuring that packhouse inventory is kept at a minimum.

With Spectre, it is not only extremely quick and easy to capture a sample and get the results, but it also works exceedingly well with our internal processes. We get a data export from Spectre every morning with the previous day's information, which plugs straight into our system. From there, we get a projection of the size of each lot or block in each room that we've got, which goes straight to the sales team.

Implementation was also a breeze, as Spectre is not one of these technology tools that asks you to dedicate an hour every day to learn how to use it. It was as simple as giving people logins on their phones and teaching them how to take pictures of the bins. We had around 50 users across all our ranches last year and took about 16,000 pictures, so it’s absolutely been a success.

It is also simple to see if there are any mistakes or issues, as I can view Spectre’s data from anywhere. If someone uploads a picture incorrectly, it’s quick and easy to let them know what they did wrong and how to correct the issue.

The support we receive from the Hectre team is exceptional. Whenever we have a question, they are quick to respond and resolve any issues. This level of support is crucial when implementing any new technology, especially when users are still learning how to use it. We have had the pleasure of working with Elizabeth, Omar, and Ali, who have all been spectacular in their support.

One of the things that sets Hectre apart is their genuine interest in understanding our needs and addressing any issues we encounter. We appreciate the open communication we have had with the team at Hectre in identifying areas where we can get the most value from the platform and addressing any challenges we face. Our collaboration with Hectre has been highly rewarding, and we look forward to continuing our successful relationship.