SEPTEMBER 2026 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA 35 The Hidden Cost of Administrative Friction Justin Funk of Agri Studies argues that conversations about a unified platform shouldn’t begin with technology. Instead, they should begin with workflow. “The first thing that comes to mind is that it shouldn’t be about the technology. It’s about eliminating the friction with experience, with workflow.” He notes that seed and agriculture in general, like many industries, has spent years digitizing processes without neces sarily improving them. “In some cases, we’re just digitizing already inefficient processes,” he said. “If we can find a way to get data that is otherwise entered multiple times into multiple systems by multiple people and reduce that friction, then I think there’s a huge opportunity.” The payoff isn’t simply administrative efficiency. “It’s going to free us up to do more productive, maybe more profitable things within our operation, and I think that goes for both the retailer, the seed com pany and the farmer as well.” That extra time matters because administration isn’t what differentiates retailers. Customer relationships do. “I don’t think a retailer necessar ily wins business because they have an outstanding administrative process,” Funk says. “But they might lose it if they don’t.” He points to a common frustration he hears from producers. “One of the criticisms that we hear from farmers is that salespeople aren’t spending enough time at the farm gate level.” Often, the problem isn’t a lack of commitment. “When I talk to salespeople, some times the reason for that is they just don’t have enough time to do it.” Every hour spent correcting contracts, chasing signatures or entering duplicate information is an hour not spent helping farmers make decisions about their crops. Think Expedia, Not Amazon The webinar’s title referenced an “Amazon moment” for seed retail, but the discussion ultimately landed on a differ ent comparison. Funk believes the better analogy is Expedia or Booking.com. “It’s all businesses being conducted through that unified platform,” he says. Hotels continue competing against one another on Expedia. Airlines still compete on travel websites. Consumers simply benefit from one profile, one login and one familiar experience. Another comparison is Shopify. “Shopify has a network of retailers — some big, some small — that are using that as the interface for the online buying experience.” These platforms also provide some thing today’s seed administration often lacks: visibility. “You buy something, your order’s received. You get a shipping notifica tion. You can follow where it’s going. We frankly don’t really even think about it anymore because it is so easy.” That’s exactly the point. The best digital systems disappear into the back ground. Users simply accomplish what they came to do. The Real Challenge Isn’t Software Technology, however, isn’t what concerns retailers most. Marc van Burck of van Burck Seeds has firsthand experience administering both the VUA and the Midge Tolerant Wheat Stewardship Agreement. For him, the biggest questions aren’t technical. “I think the more important ques tion is who’s going to own this customer information. We don’t want to make this into a sales funnel for seed companies or retailers.” That concern surfaced repeatedly throughout the discussion. A unified platform cannot succeed unless par ticipants trust how information will be collected, stored and used. Trust Begins With Explaining Why Van Burck said retailers spend much of their time explaining stewardship programs before they ever administer them. “Our customers want to know why these programs exist,” he says. “Why is there a VUA? Why is there a Midge Tolerant Wheat program?” As the people sitting across the table from farmers, retailers become the face of those programs. He believes those con versations ultimately determine whether farmers trust the system. Technology Should Strengthen Relationships, Not Replace Them Kansas State University agricultural economist Terry Griffin offers an inter national perspective. Today’s ordering systems, inventory systems, contracts and agronomic recommendations often exist in separate databases. “When those pieces aren’t connected, everyone is making decisions with only part of the picture,” Griffin says. Marc van Burck notes that retailers spend much of their time explaining stewardship programs before they ever administer them. Justin Funk says conversations about a unified platform shouldn’t begin with technology. Instead, they should begin with workflow.
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