The necessity of collaboration cannot be overstated in an industry as robust and complete in its intellectual and strategic insights as ours. Fine-tuning how a company goes to market and builds its core competencies has many possibilities. For those on the right path, technology is key—the right partnership as well.
EXP Group is one progressive distribution organization adapting its manifest to take advantage of the changing landscape of fresh produce. It demands rigorous software solutions to manage its business performance—all areas where a healthy and strategic partnership can offer optimal guidance and tools as the EXP family advantageously discovered.
“We selected Famous Software as our distribution management solution to ensure we could operate with the highest degree of efficiency in an industry undergoing rapid technological advancements,” Anthony Serafino, President and Principal of EXP Group, shares with me. “It was important to EXP Group that we find the right fit. Our values align with the Famous product portfolio and the team executes at an incredibly high standard daily.”
EXP wields more than 40 years of fresh produce distribution—a growing arena for Famous Software—as a multinational group of companies, comprising an efficient network that produces, imports, and distributes tropical fruits and vegetables from Central and South America.
“The story of EXP Group is an important one. My father, Emil Serafino, founded our family business in 2005,” Anthony says, detailing the roots of the company. “EXP is a legacy company, and my father is a legend in the industry. We are very family-oriented in how we do business; we believe in prioritizing culture, and we believe in Famous’ culture. If you’re going to work with a company, the synergies of both should align. Misaligned values are malpractice. This has never been the case with Famous as it has continued to check all the boxes and more for us.”
“We have had an incredibly dynamic partnership with EXP Group for 10 years now, and it is worth taking a look at how the design and value in such a collaboration have created a blueprint for the industry’s evolution.”
Heather Hammack, President, Famous Software
Intending to continue to achieve market leadership and customer satisfaction while carrying on the legacy his father seeded, Anthony knew the right partner would require a unique collaboration only Famous could provide.
“We are excited about the groundwork we have laid and the road ahead when it comes to distributing fresh produce on the East Coast as well as developing foreign farms and packing houses to the highest standards. Managing our partnerships with our suppliers is an essential part of our business model,” Anthony details. “We have several irons in the fire, and Famous Software’s President, Heather Hammack, understood what we needed from the start and where we want to take the company next.”
As I sat down to talk with Heather about the collaboration, I could see that strategic map surface in her mind. Always taking the pulse of the industry and her clients, Heather shares with me how the decade of collaboration has benefited both the organizations and the industry as a whole.
“We have had an incredibly dynamic partnership with EXP Group for 10 years now, and it is worth taking a look at how the design and value in such a collaboration have created a blueprint for the industry’s evolution,” Heather shares with me as she reveals the details of such a value proposition.
Between cutting-edge technologies, innovative apps, and robust business intelligence tools, Famous and EXP Group have propelled their joint success in the distribution market as they continually evolve to meet the dynamic needs of a rapidly changing industry.
Heather pivots the conversation to give me a quick look at the tools of the trade for this partnership: the Famous Quality Control (QC) App, Famous Receiving App, and Famous Business Intelligence.
“Our Famous Quality Control App is an easy-to-use inspection app developed for QC professionals to help determine what product should be delivered to which customer and where,” Heather tells me, adding that the app has become integral to EXP Group’s commitment to delivering high-quality products to its customers with improved accuracy and consistency in quality control processes.
In addition, the Famous Receiving App gives users complete visibility and control over inbound purchase orders or grower estimates with ease.
“With a mobile device, users can effortlessly view and verify products they want to receive into inventory,” Heather adds. “With this feature, EXP Group has been able to streamline and automate its inbound logistics processes, showcase efficiency gains, reduce errors, and enhance visibility into inventory management.”
Last but not least, Famous’ Business Intelligence. With this resource, EXP has easily evaluated business performance, identified and analyzed trends, and empowered its entire organization with decision-making tools so business issues can be identified and acted upon quickly.
With these tools at their fingertips, Anthony and his team have thrived. EXP Group leverages Famous Software’s Business Intelligence tool to derive actionable insights from their data, make informed decisions, and stay ahead in a competitive market.
“Financial reporting is much more accelerated now. We need detailed reports of profitability and purchase order (PO) profit inquiry reports. Business Intelligence allows us to take this data and fine-tune it in a way that ownership or executives need it to be tailored.”
Anthony Serafino, President and Principal, EXP Group
“Financial reporting is much more accelerated now. We need detailed reports of profitability and purchase order (PO) profit inquiry reports,” he reveals. “Business Intelligence allows us to take this data and fine-tune it in a way that ownership or executives need it to be tailored.”
Anthony continues, adding that if you want to take a step in the right direction in this game, the solutions and technology need to be next-level.
“If you are going to let someone into the internal workings of your company, you need a leader in the produce space,” Anthony says. “I’m sure there are other competitors in this arena. Looking at what Famous did for us after the capital investment we made with Famous years ago—our business has completely turned around.”
Famous Software has become an integral part of EXP Group’s operations, from inventory management to
order fulfillment.
“As we always remain forward-thinking, Famous Software’s commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements will allow us to continue supporting EXP Group’s growth in measurable and essential ways,” Heather tells me.
In the works for Famous, the company continues to build its distributor customer base, as many distributors don’t know Famous has great products and services that fit their needs. EXP is an excellent example of how Famous’ product line adapts to the distributor business model and can streamline and enhance this fresh produce sector.
Looking ahead, Famous has a host of goals coming down
the pipeline.
“We are focused on helping our customers increase efficiency with our proprietary integrated solutions,” Heather tells me. “We have new and enhanced warehousing functionality, from paperless loading and shipping with WMS to our Receiving App, which functions to move the receiving process to where it happens with a tablet. Repack mobility has also been in high demand. We can help issue and receive the finished product with more mobility.”
Another priority for Famous is its compliance with FSMA 204. Famous customers are already compliant with FSMA 204 as the company has been thinking ahead and making sure its customers are covered.
A handshake can look like many different things in our industry. In the case of Famous Software and EXP Group, the result is the mutual advancement of a progressive
game plan and the promise of a successful and evolving
road ahead.
“EXP Group has grown tremendously since we began in fresh produce, and the business best practices and processes—which were relatively easy then—have changed quite a bit. When we looked for a company to partner with for software solutions, innovation was an important part of the conversation. The implementation was not hard at all. Our inventory and warehouse control are excellent, and the program allows us to thrive with accurate information. We can view the profit on each invoice. That is essential.”
“The receiving app has evolved our process and how we do business. Previously, we just had one computer in the entire warehouse. Now, since we have the tablets, we can have five people receiving loads at the same time. This made us more efficient. We usually receive about 25–30 loads a day for our cross-dock operation, and we receive another 20–30 loads in-house. In total, it could be 60 loads a day. Famous Software does a very good job detailing the inventory. You can do everything on one app, from the receiving to quality control. You can also customize the app and ask for certain characteristics you want to catch. It has become an essential part of our business model.” 
