As technology improves, so must business practices to accommodate for changing customer needs. This idea translates to growers and merchandisers who are demanding the same technological advances they use for consumer purposes in the Business-to-Business (B2B) world.
“Every business needs to look at the health of their business, and constantly look for ways to improve. What are their goals as an organization? What are their growth targets?” says Greg Lafferty, senior account manager of Practical Software Solutions.
“Some organizations can be run on a clipboard, and that’s fine,” he says. “But other organizations need more powerful tools.”
Some of those tools include devices that can handle the growth of their business, including smartphones, and software that can translate over multiple platforms.
According to a Pew Research Study from April 2015, 64 percent of American adults own a smartphone, compared to just 35 percent in 2011. More than two thirds of smartphone users use turn-by-turn navigation for driving directions, and 57 percent use them for online banking. Having multiple uses for one device is the norm.
“In general, people want to be where their business takes them. And people would like to be able to use their devices for more than one purpose,” Lafferty says. “Growers want to be out and mobile, doing things and still being able to access data—and to be able to transact within the system without going back to their desk.”
Sometimes, single-use devices such as Intermec hand-held scanners can also work to simplify grower processes. It’s about marrying the right tool to the growers’ needs, Lafferty says.
“We have some customers [who] can access all kinds of business intelligence data, sales analyses and reports on an iPad. But then we have, on the other side of the business, [people] trying to scan 5,000 carts a day and get them out to the shipping dock. They do not want to do that on an iPad.” Sturdier devices, such as Intermec scanners, can be dropped from 6 to 8 feet, and can handle changing humidity and temperature in the greenhouse.
Scanning can also be made easier with software like Scan by Cart, which helps automate the shipping process. Using hand-held devices and bar code technology, Scan by Cart can rebuild sales orders, generate shipping orders, documents and labels as the product is loaded from the greenhouse onto the truck.
When it comes to the ordering process, B2B customers are looking more and more for an Amazon.com experience, Lafferty says.
“Especially in the greenhouse industry, they want to be able to go to their supplier and pick the seeds. Why can I not go to vendor ABC’s website, log in as me, and order my cuttings for next year?” he says.
Companies such as Website Pipeline in Greenville, S.C., are providing B2B customers with a more robust tool for online shopping carts. Originally focused on providing website design and shopping cart functionality for any business, Website Pipeline now strictly focuses on integration with ERP systems after a request from a customer.
“It was such a revelation for us when we saw how much more impactful the site was once it was integrated with the ERP system,” said Darcy Boerio, the channel development manager of Website Pipeline. “Suddenly just designing websites with no integration felt like we were only getting our clients part of the way there. Any business who wants to sell more while improving and streamlining customer service should be given all the advantages that integration has to offer.”
Another step forward in mobile technology in the greenhouse industry is the adaptation of web-native programs. These programs, written in the same languages as standard web pages such as HTML5, can be accessed from any connected device with a web browser. This also eliminates the need for a substantial client to be installed on a machine powerful enough to run the software.
Web-native software like DemandLink, the industry-leading provider of cloud-based replenishment, analysis, and sales visibility tools, can help growers provide up-to-date inventory for their customers by allowing them to open up their inventory as a web page on their desktop — or their smartphone or tablet — and update accordingly. For organizations with many merchandisers, providing this behind-the-scenes access allows for a smoother ordering process, and in turn, saves the grower time.
John Garren, CEO of Green Market Systems, said there were three main factors his company wanted to accomplish by developing DemandLink as a web-native program.
“First, we wanted to save our customers money by eliminating the need for on-premises installation and management of our software,” Garren said. “We also wanted to allow users to access up-to-date data wherever they have internet connection. Then we wanted to meet the needs of a mobile and seasonal workforce through ease of scalability.”
Web-native software also can extend entire business systems – not just a few applications – beyond the confinement of an office. The newest version of Sage ERP, written in a web-native format, will allow growers to access anything from financials to work orders to production schedules to shipping details, from anywhere. Practical Software Solutions debuted this technology at Cultivate’15 in Columbus, Ohio.
“Over the past few years, we have seen growers not only embracing technology, but also embracing integrated business systems,” Lafferty said. “With the web-native version of Sage ERP, growers can have the best of both worlds.”
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