Customer Success Story: Falcon Coffees Peru

Established: 2017
Registered Farmers: 380
Regions: Cajamarca, Junin, Cusco, San Martin, Amazonas
Sample roaster/Roaster used: Probat BRZ 2

Pandemic or not, Simon says that Falcon was on-track to implement Cropster Origin into their day-to-day operations. Simon says, “prior to the pandemic, we were already considering Cropster, but it wasn’t until the pandemic that we really sped up our implementation of Cropster given that we could digitalize all of our data.”

Because Cropster is a cloud-based software, Falcon can make the most of the data collecting and sharing among each other in Peru and between their various operations across the world. Along with this collecting, storing, and sharing of data, Cropster Origin’s Spanish version has made it accessible for Falcon to share their data findings with their Peruvian partners as well.

Cropster Origin’s Quality section allows users to track and analyze their coffee quality.

How has Cropster Origin helped improve Falcon’s export and import businesses?

For Falcon Peru, Cropster’s system has been a blessing as it navigates communicating data in a digital era amidst a pandemic. Simon says, “communication between our export and import business has become simpler with Cropster. Now, when I send samples to our UK-office, it’s easy to include SLIC labels along with those samples so that important traceable and transparent information is available.” A key feature with SLIC sample labels is that anyone with access to a smartphone or computer can access the information they provide. So, if Falcon’s suppliers or buyers have yet to make the move to Cropster – they can still access all the information they need to make their jobs and ours easier. Plus everyone has more accurate information and there is less confusion as a result.

With transparency, reporting, and feedback, Origin has helped Falcon to log their quality control and cupping information in an organized way not only for the efficiency of Falcon’s operations but also to share that information with their producers. Simon explains, “our ability to log quality control information quickly and efficiently has made it easier for us to analyze that information and then quickly share that information with our producers. We’ve been able to speed up the process of sharing data down to 1-day.” In sharing this information with producers, Cropster features help empower the farmer by allowing them to get insight and understanding of how to improve their coffees each harvest.

Every lot from Falcon Coffees Peru is tracked using Cropster Origin.

How does Cropster Origin help make their Peruvian operations efficient?

Falcon purchases most of their Peruvian coffees directly from producers in parchment form. Typically, they warehouse those parchment coffees in their warehouse outside of Lima where they assess their quality control through physical and sensorial evaluations. All of this is managed efficiently using Cropster Origin. Simon says, “our assessment and payment timeline is a one-day turnaround. Once we receive the coffees, we evaluate/cup them and then payment/feedback is immediately after.” This quick turnaround has been, in part, possible with Cropster Origin’s ability to store and share that data immediately thanks to its use of the cloud.

Another efficiency of Cropster Origin has been the ability for exporters like Falcon Coffee Peru to buy their coffees in any form and be able to input and separate those lots digitally in Cropster. Simon explains, “whether it’s buying in cherry or dry parchment, Cropster Origin helps us to manage our inventory digitally and efficiently. We have an extra layer of complication here because we work with different measurement units and each process has its different unit. We use quintals, which is really used as a unit for payment, but the quintal for natural and honey is different. Fortunately with Origin, we’ve been able to separate each process and its unit for payment.”

Falcon tracks and stores their lots in parchment in Origin before milling and export.

While Falcon Coffees has operations worldwide, Origin has helped the company to stay organized and be managed from overseas. Simon says, “from the exporting side in Peru, we have the ability to input information. The importing side has access to see that data, which is usually lot information.” Origin’s ability to manage workflows using permission features essentially allows data input and output to be streamlined and maintain the integrity of the data by helping people who own the process also manage the data that process creates.

With Origin’s various features and abilities, Simon says that Cropster Origin has helped Falcon Peru immensely. It has broken down barriers for them and made their work simpler and more accurate saving time and frustration. “There’s really nothing in the marketplace that even came remotely close to Cropster. For us, it’s been massively helpful that Origin is offered in English/Spanish and that it’s all in a cloud that can be accessed from wherever.”