Zespri sets a new industry benchmark for speed, accuracy, and customer trustÌý
NEW ZEALAND,ÌýAucklandÌý—Ìý09ÌýDecember 2025—ÌýÂé¶¹Ô´´ today announced thatÌýZespri, the world’s largest marketer of premium-quality kiwifruit, has strengthened its commitment to trust and customer service by launchingÌýa fully digitised, customer-firstÌýclaims platformÌýbuilt onÌýÂé¶¹Ô´´â€™s integratedÌýcloud technologies. As a result,Ìýtoday, customersÌýbenefitÌýfrom a simple self-serviceÌýclaims process that resolvesÌýissues in seconds, while smart automationÌýhelpsÌýZespri’s teamsÌýdeliverÌýfast, consistent outcomes withoutÌýcompromising onÌýquality or control.
While accounting for onlyÌýoneÌýpercent of sales, with the company facing more than 40,000 quality claims a year –ÌýtotalingÌýover NZD $70 million – Zespri wanted to reimage itsÌýclaims process. PreviouslyÌýslow, manual, and at times, associated withÌýinconsistent decision making –Ìýtoday,Ìýnew digital toolsÌýdeliverÌýan intuitive, self-service experience through aÌýcentralisedÌýclaims portal,ÌýallowingÌýmulti-delivery claims to be created in under 30 seconds, and more than 1,000 deliveries can be processed in under two minutes.ÌýÌý
“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,â€� said Rahul Badge, Head of In-Market Supply Chain at Zespri.Ìý“As a result,Ìýwe have been able toÌýmeet ourÌýcustomers’ÌýneedÌýfor a simpler, faster, and more transparentÌýexperience, andÌýgiveÌýour assessors the tools to reduce manual input and share expert insights across the business.ÌýWe now see each claim as a chance to show our commitment to service, quality and openness.â€�Ìý
This transformation has rapidly improved Zespri’s claims process, with 80 percent of claims nowÌýbenefitingÌýfromÌýhuman-in-the-loopÌýautomated recommendations and decisionÌýmaking. This hasÌýsignificantly reducedÌýprocessing times and errors and freedÌýassessors to focus on complex casesÌýwhile maintaining Zespri’s strict audit requirements. The new platform also delivers comprehensive, real-time insights, supporting end-to-end visibility throughout Zespri’s global supply chain and unlocking opportunities for preventative action and continuous improvement.Ìý
“Zespri has set a new benchmark for customer-centric innovation in the fresh produce industry,â€� said Adrian Griffin, Managing Director, Âé¶¹Ô´´ New Zealand. “ByÌýdigitisingÌýand scaling expert decision-making, Zespri is driving both operational efficiency and customer trust, strengthening its position as a global leader and delivering real value across its network.â€�Ìý
Leveraging Âé¶¹Ô´´ Commerce Cloud as the central customer interface, Zespri introduced a seamless digital journey that enables claims to beÌýsubmittedÌýacross multiple deliveries in under 30 seconds. Real-time supply chain data from Âé¶¹Ô´´ S/4HANA,Ìýintegrated with partner solutions,ÌýeliminatesÌýthe need for repetitive data entry and helps prevent human error, while an advanced orchestration layer powered by Âé¶¹Ô´´ BTP,Ìýalongside partner solutions,Ìýautomates the application of business rules and embeds humanÌýexpertiseÌýat scale. The introduction of Âé¶¹Ô´´ Fiori applications equips Zespri’s assessors to review end-to-end supply chain data and quality inspection reportsÌýfrom partner solutions,ÌýkeepingÌýexpert judgementÌýcentral to complex claim assessments.ÌýÌý
The claims platform, delivered in partnership withÌýAccenture New Zealand and FAIR ConsultingÌýGroup,Ìýis now live across major markets including Japan, China, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam, India, the United States and Europe. Business users have embraced the solution, with senior leaders describing it as “the most business-centric digital project Zespri has ever run.â€�Ìý
Pete Devereux, Accenture Business Architecture Manager, said, “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.â€�ÌýÌý
Christiaan Du Plessis, Âé¶¹Ô´´ & Cloud Director at FAIR ConsultingÌýGroup, added, “It’sÌýbeen a real pleasure working together. The impact for customers is already obvious, andÌýwe’reÌýexcited to keep building from here.â€�Ìý
As a result ofÌýdigitisingÌýitsÌýclaimsÌýprocessÌýand unlocking richer, end-to-end data, Zespri is now positionedÌýtoÌýleverageÌýnext-generation technologies, including predictive analytics and computer vision, further advancing its goals around quality, sustainability,Ìýand customer experience.
