Case labeling for field-packed produce
View Patent ↗Rolls of pre-printed case labels are distributed at a harvest for labeling cases of produce. The labels on each roll include sequential codes that each span a unique range. Part or all of each roll's range can be associated with harvest data, including picker and block identifications. The association can be made by placing a label from each roll on a harvest form bearing harvest data, or by entering harvest data into an electronic device and using the device to read a unique code from a label. Pickers then harvest produce, fill cases, and label the cases from their rolls. The association of ranges to pickers allows a subsequently read unique code from a filled case to be properly credited to the correct picker. The association of ranges to blocks allows subsequently obtained quality information to be correlated to specific blocks.
1. A method for labeling field-packed produce comprising:
associating harvest event data, including a picker identification for a picker, to create a data record, where creating the data record includes recording harvest event data on a harvest form by affixing a block identification label to the harvest form;
associating an initial label of a roll of labels to the data record, each label of the roll including a company identifier, a SKU, and a unique code following a sequence;
harvesting produce by the picker, filling cases with the harvested produce, and affixing labels from the roll to the filled cases; and
associating a first range of unique codes to the data record, the first range beginning with a unique code included on the initial label.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein associating the initial label of a roll of labels to the data record includes affixing the initial label to the harvest form.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein creating the data record includes entering harvest event data into a handheld computing device.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein entering harvest event data into the handheld computing device includes reading the picker identification from a picker's badge using the handheld computing device.
5. The method of claim 3 wherein associating the initial label of a roll of labels to the data record includes reading a unique code from the initial label using the handheld computing device.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising reading the unique codes on each filled case at an aggregation point.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising tabulating a number of cases filled by the picker.
8. A method comprising:
associating harvest event data, including a picker identification for a picker, to create a data record;
associating an initial label of a roll of labels to the data record, each label of the roll including a company identifier, a SKU, and a unique code following a sequence;
harvesting produce by the picker, filling cases with the harvested produce, and affixing labels from the roll to the filled cases; and
associating a first range of unique codes to the data record, the first range beginning with a unique code included on the initial label, where associating the first range of unique codes to the data record comprises searching a database using the unique code to identify a second range of unique codes for a roll of labels, where the second range includes the unique code, and wherein the first range comprises a subset of the second range.
9. The method of claim 8 wherein associating the initial label of a roll of labels to the data record includes affixing the initial label to a harvest form.
10. The method of claim 8 wherein creating the data record includes entering harvest event data into a handheld computing device.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein entering harvest event data into the handheld computing device includes reading the picker identification from a picker's badge using the handheld computing device.
12. The method of claim 10 wherein associating the initial label of a roll of labels to the data record includes reading a unique code from the initial label using the handheld computing device.