"If only that plant could talk..." How often did growers not make this silent wish when something happened in their crop that they could not have foreseen. Growers follow their crop as thoroughly as possible in order to give plants everything they need.
Mprise Agriware has an app for seed producers and growers, the Agriware Inspect App, that helps with this. Employees walking through the crops can easily record on their mobile phone or tablet (optionally with photos or videos) what they see and notice in the behavior of the plants. By linking that information to the connected IT systems, information can be entered quickly and effectively if necessary. Measuring is knowing 2.0.
Product & Development Manager William van Loenen was responsible for the development of this app, which happened in close collaboration with potential customers. “We often work like this. Horticulture is an open sector in which people are not afraid to work together. They dare to learn from each other. For us, the effect is that we avoid developing the wrong product. Because the growers are very clear, so what is not good enough really does not reach the finish line."
For people in the workplace
Agriware Inspect App helps people at executive level to record issues of the crops in which they are working. This information is important, because these are the exact people who see the crops on a daily basis and therefore have insight into what is happening with them (growth, diseases and pests, spontaneous mutants and so on).
However, they are facing two challenges. The first is that it must be possible to record the information in a simple manner. The second is that information only makes sense if you know how to translate it into meaningful action. Agriware Inspect App addresses both challenges. No paperwork or complex Excel files, but clear, insightful forms on a mobile phone. It’s as simple as that. "That's how we want it," says Van Loenen. “Creating usable apps that enable a company to work more efficiently by using work floor knowledge during the exchange of information.
In addition to these ad hoc observations, periodic checks can also be scheduled to proactively monitor crops and thus monitor length or EC/pH values. In addition, people in the workplace not only want to record, they also ask for accurate information about the history and development of crops, so that they can make better decisions. The app brings that information to the end user.”
No other framework than customer needs
“At seed companies, but also at other propagators and breeders, we see a growing need to be able to monitor crops on a daily basis,” Van Loenen continues. “And as accessible as possible because a variety of groups of employees work in the crops. We have started working with a number of customers on this basis. With customer needs as the only framework - we had no budget or time limits. But it had to be good in the opinion of the customer. So we had to throw out several ideas before getting where we are now.
Practice was our close companion. The end user the guideline. How does he work? What does his day look like? How does he want to record things? We used that knowledge for a test model, which was further refined based on practical experiences.
The development of Agriware Inspect App does not stop after the introduction. We keep talking to customer groups because the market is forever changing and because customers are in development as well. This way we continue to contribute to their success."
