A Heijunka (production leveling) exercise for a fruit cooperative is a tool to balance production by smoothing workloads over time, reducing stress, optimizing resources and preventing waste in operations. It evens out the processing and distribution of fruit harvests, minimizing delays and overburden during peak seasons while maintaining steady output. It’s used to identify uneven workflows, like bottlenecks in sorting or packing, and stabilize operations for consistent quality and efficiency. The key benefit is a streamlined process that reduces waste, ensures consistent fruit quality and delivery and improves profitability through balanced resource use.