16 GERMINATION.CA SEPTEMBER 2018 Hi Doug. With the Seed Synergy Collaboration Project ramping up and a white paper expected this coming fall, the industry is preparing for what is being termed a “Single Window” model — an efficient, streamlined and integrated system and processes that will provide access to information and services in one place. That’s much different than how the industry currently operates, with six separate organizations with different man- dates operating independently of one another. Why a Single Window? ALOOKTHROUGH THESINGLEWINDOW Doug Miller: Imagine going into your bank and having to go to a different teller for every kind of transaction. We wouldn’t accept that from a bank, so why accept it from the seed industry? The Seed Synergy Collaboration Project is exploring the enhancement of the client/member experience through an integrated system and processes, possibly including blockchain. Doug Miller of the CSGA and Richard Freeman of Ricoh chat with us about what that might one day look like for seed growers and others. At the CSGA annual meeting in Montreal, Quebec, in July, you gave an in-depth look at what a single window system and modernized seed certification system might look like for the seed sector, particularly members of the CSGA. What is the Single Window and what is it intended to do? Doug Miller: Under a single window, all facilities/services would be available in one place. It would: • Simplify processes • Reduce burden/cost • Eliminate duplicate/redundant data requirements • Break down information silos • Expedite information flow and decision making What form would this take? Doug Miller: A Single Window will essentially take the form of a centralized site for seed industry stakeholders, with access based on user profiles (breeder, seed grower, company, RSE, etc.), and will contain information such as: •  Variety-specific information (descriptions, production figures, royalty summaries, regulatory approvals) • Forms, applications, standards, regulations, etc. •  Supporting documentation and test results (purity, germination, hybridity, phytosanitary certificates, etc.)