Efficiënt voorraadbeheer leidt tot kostenbesparing
March 19, 2024
After a turbulent year full of setbacks, challenges and uncertainty, it is time to also slowly look ahead in the bulb sector. In this blog, we write about where the sector stands, what a real innovation is and where we see the most opportunities for these innovations in 2021.
The regulations concerning crop control, certification, and circular agriculture are increasing every year. In addition, as a grower, you also have to collect and use data. Big data, that is. At the same time, it doesn't really seem clear to anyone what this means. How do you collect big data? How do you collect big data? How do you use big data? And most importantly: what pot big data bringing you?
“Start as small and simple as possible”
As a result, it is sometimes difficult to keep seeing the benefits of digitization and big data. But let's take a quick look at how Spotify changed our lives en masse:
No more changing CDs, no more carrying around discmans, no more buying new CDs. Instead, one app for a fixed price per month gives you access to all the new music, new useful features (that use your data!) and links with, for example, your Sonos. Spotify thus makes listening to music incredibly easy and accessible for everyone.
There are also opportunities for new digital solutions in the bulb sector. The gap between technology and daily practice is still wide, but that does not mean that entrepreneurs in the sector lack vision and ambition. In fact, entrepreneurs we spoke to over the years are definitely looking for digital solutions and innovations. However, they must have the making daily practice easier and it preparing the company for the future: the two ingredients for true innovation.
“We often hear: “We've been doing it like this for years, and that's fine, isn't it?”
If these are the requirements for a real innovation, where do we see opportunities for these innovations in 2021? And how do we bridge that gap between technology and practice?
Start small. Everything starts with digitizing administration: in the field, in the shed and in the office. A lot of paper is still used on the land and in the shed. Fortunately, there is an increasing range of simple, user-friendly software to replace these paper lists. Start as small and simple as possible here is the motto. For example (if you did) just keep writing the species on the coffin with chalk, but do replace all lists with a tablet.
Focus on cultural change. How do you digitize? Why is digitization important? What does it cost? And above all: what does it bring me as a company? We often hear: “We've been doing it like this for years, and that's fine, isn't it?” However, in our view, this argument is not based on unwillingness but a lack of clarity and perspective. Fortunately, there are projects such as WUR's Bulb Revolution 4.0 with the aim of putting new innovations into practice on land, in the shed and in processing. Industry associations, Greenports and business organizations can also help with this cultural change in the sector.
Let technology do the work. As we've already written, a real innovation makes work easier. Once you switch to digital cultivation administration or inventory administration, you don't want to have to search through all your data yourself. A good tool gives you overview and convenience by organizing, clearly displaying or even analyzing your data for you.
More links. You don't want to enter the same data into three different systems, but rather be able to track your parties from the country to sale. A party's data is often scattered across different systems in cultivation, storage and sales. For example, you record how much you inject per RR, but you do not see in the same system which parties were on this piece of land. Or you know which cell a batch was in, but you don't immediately see the temperature and RH changes in that cell. Through more smart connections, we expect (also at Beam!) less work and more insight at party level in 2021.
New techniques. Finally, we see many new opportunities for new techniques in the future. New satellites with special cameras can collect information about soil moisture content, diseases and crop development. In addition, software is becoming faster and more powerful. This ensures that AI can be used more and more widely, for example, to sort bulbs with cameras or to spray or hoe camera-guided spraying. This jump in software will also make apps increasingly smarter and see connections that we humans can't see. By linking cultivation, climate and stock software, for example, new opportunities are created to better predict yields, limit fusarium or make recommendations about the optimal harvesting time based on weather conditions.
Despite the current situation, there are therefore opportunities for the application of new innovations. It is great when new technology brings flower bulb companies further into daily practice. Through an open view from the sector and close cooperation with tech companies, we believe we can close the gap.
If the technique works for the grower, he can focus on craftsmanship again.