Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60MARCH 2017 GERMINATION.CA 33 THERE SEEMS TO be a software application for almost eve- rything and lots that do similar things. It is important to note that the software application you choose is a vital tool that will help your seed busi- ness operate effectively, doing the mundane record keep- ing and calculating and summarizing data that provides the information you need to help you run your business. Choosing the right software solution is worth spending time and effort on. So what are the key things to look for? To help you decide the most important features that the software application must deliver, select the five most important business improvements that the solution must provide. For example: tracking parent and planting for seed production, better visibility of seed production estimates, ensuring grower payments are accurate and on time, tracking lots and quality in inventory, accurate visibility of inventory and availability, standardization of the data for reports against production, inventory and orders. Next, identify the scope of what the software must cover and specific business needs and requirements in IN THE CEREAL breeding industry, timelines are a major area of concern. The timeline that’s routinely used is eight to 10 years from when a breeder will make an initial cross, to a variety entering registration trials. That timeline can vary slightly, depending on the level of contra-season product advancement. Once you factor in registration trials and the develop- ment of performance data, it’s about 15 years from when a cross is made to when a variety comes to market. That includes up to three years of seed production before farmers even have their first opportunity to buy a new variety. In most other industries, that sort of timeline is unheard of. Taking well over a decade to create a new product would be a disaster for most other businesses, yet we have come to accept this in the world of cereal varieties. This kind of timeline poses a number of challenges. One challenge is changes to grain classification. As we’ve been acquiring different seed varieties for our portfolio, we’ve been acquiring them based on a market class. From BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS SQUARE PEG, ROUND HOLE? Vincent Veneziale Cultura Seed Solutions Product Manager @culturatech • vincent.veneziale@culturatech.com • cultura.com collaboration with the people in the different roles and departments in your business. For example: manage production contracts with the ability to track bins and quality of the raw seed on-farm, track all inventory movements and adjustments, review quality information across all samples for lots and inven- tory, record and track cleaning, bagging and other costs against the seed being processed, etc. You also need to work closely with the software vendor. Choosing the right software vendor is as impor- tant as the software itself. So what do you need from your software vendor? Domain knowledge and experi- ence in the seed industry, implementation support and training throughout the project and beyond, aftercare and on-going customer service and help desk, customization service and regular software updates to meet current and future business needs. Software and technology never stand still for very long. Your business will also most likely look very dif- ferent in five years’ time. The software application you choose needs to stand the test of time. CEREAL SEED TIMELINES: WHY THEY’RE SUCH A CONCERN IN CEREAL BREEDING Brent Derkatch Canterra Seeds Director, Operations & Business Development @CANTERRABD • b.derkatch@canterra.com • canterra.com the time we acquire varieties until we’ve commercialized them, we’re trying to anticipate what the market demand is going to be. When a variety changes market classes, it can create a big challenge for us — there’s a lot of time, energy and money on the line. Another huge challenge we face is communication between government, breeders, industry and end users. It’s very critical. Breeding programs and commercializa- tion strategies for cereal products can’t change direction quickly. They’re big ships that take a long time to change course, and the entire value chain needs to appreciate that. Getting all sectors to work together to appreciate each other’s needs and wants is critical. With a lot of work, and a bit of good fortune, we can begin to make the entire process better for everyone. I’d love to hear your thoughts — email me and let’s continue the conversation.