Integrating and Standardizing Data Is Crucial to Successful Ag Operations
The need for better connected digital tools in agriculture is in high demand. But what most agricultural businesses don’t prepare for when they look at adopting a new digital strategy is the need to purchase new software.
As Director of Ag Retail for Agworld, a collaborative farm data ecosystem for growers, agronomists, ag retailers, and others involved in the farming process, I have spoken with retailers who say that much of the data they are collecting has ended up trapped in a data silo that makes it hard to share, analyze, and communicate. Siloed data includes data related to agronomy, machine data, enterprise resource planning (ERP), financial, and lab/sampling.
Agworld offers a platform where users can collect data at every level of their operations and share the data with anyone important to them. Agworld has spent the last decade building from the ground up, breaking down those data silos that exist, and integrating and standardizing farm data.
Data is valuable and businesses should be monetizing it, not for the purpose of selling it but for looking at it as a long-term investment.
The value of data is invaluable from a long-term investment perspective. But it has significantly less value if it can’t be shared with stakeholders or a third-party system. The real value is having a structured hub of connected data that allows you to make better decisions. In uncertain economic times like we’re in, I’m banking on what I know, not what someone is trying to convince me to do. I want to look at all the information I have when I make my decision.
Businesses need to consider the money they’re losing because of the inefficiencies and waste associated with not using data or being able to standardize it. Many agricultural businesses today are looking for the next step into a digital transformation and that shift has been front and center. I visit with many retailers who wrestle with current market conditions, supply chains, labor … All those things are problems and often where a lot of data silos occur.
Connected and standardized farm data is valuable because it leads to better productivity, better customer service, and more capital. Many people say data is money, and it is. But shouldn’t they be saying that good data is money? So how do you get good data? You get it from the source where it’s created: the farm gate, from the tractor cab, the combine cab, and observations in the field. The dots are connected to make you more efficient.
But just capturing good data isn’t enough. You also must be able to analyze it. You must compare it to the data you have in other systems.
Not-integrated software wastes money, but also creates a large tactical debt to the business. While data may be able to be accessed, it’s difficult to use. Data needs to be flowing because eventually every business will need to shift to a more modern solution or change from an old way of doing things.
Using non-integrated software is like working in a dirty shop where everything is misplaced and difficult to locate. Using integrated software is just the opposite, when the shop is organized, the tools are easy to find.
What’s the answer? Digital transformation. What does it mean to digitize? I start by saying to pick a good technology partner. Choose a platform, not just an app, or something that’s easy to use but doesn’t provide the value you need.
If you are considering digitizing your data, you should look for partners that can provide a clear vision to you about how to standardize data.
Author: Russ Stevenson, director of Ag retail at Agworld.