Modelling and Analysis of the Apples Export Supply Chain Business Processes: Experiences from Chile

Abstract

In this chapter, we present an analysis of the fresh apple export supply chain in Chile. Fresh fruits are one of the main exports in Chile, after the mining products. This supply chain is particularly complex due to its perishable nature and the fact that the fruit export season occurs during the summer period, overlapping with the arrival of cruises. For this reason, maritime ports present high levels of utilization and congestion. We follow the Business Process Analysis (BPA) methodology proposed by United Nations to model the current situation of the shipment business processes, from the warehouse or packing facility of the shipper to the port of departure where it will be loaded to the corresponding vessel. With this analysis, we identify the main challenges and opportunities and propose a redesign of the current processes. The proposed redesigned business processes consider the implementation of electronic data interchange procedures instead of the paper-based ones currently employed.